


She's All That

by Whisperingwater



Series: The Adventures of Brat and Gramps [1]
Category: Karamel - Fandom, Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Air Force Major Mon-El AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Bodyguard, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bodyguard, Bodyguard AU, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Family, Family Feels, First Kiss, First Love, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friends With Benefits, Friendship, KaraMel, Karamel - Alternate Universe, Karamel Bodyguard AU, Kent Brothers, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Romance, Shameless Smut, Slow Burn, Smut, Teenage Drama, Unrequited Love, teenage kara
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-29
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-07-18 22:44:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 35
Words: 72,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16128299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whisperingwater/pseuds/Whisperingwater
Summary: Being the daughter of THE Cat Grant and famous star, Maxwell Lord-Danvers, Kara had wanted anything but glitz and glamor. She wanted to be a normal teenager. To disappear amongst the crowd. But when a death threat arrives in her name, she ends up with a hot bodyguard she never asked for.Enter Mike Matthews, ex-Air Force Major, charming, mysterious… and did I say hot? Mike didn’t sign up for babysitting a brat. But here he was pretending to be her boyfriend.What does destiny hold for these two lost souls? Is love in store for them? Or will something sinister keep them apart?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kim and Elle (my dear friends and fellow #WoodTrashTriplets)](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Kim+and+Elle+%28my+dear+friends+and+fellow+%23WoodTrashTriplets%29).



> KARAMEL BODYGUARD AU IS HERE!!! And we all needed this so darn much after seeing Melwood at Paris Fashion Week! I hope you enjoy this story. Do leave me a comment if you like it!
> 
>  
> 
> All the characters (except few original characters of mine) belong to DC Comics. The characterization is based off CW Supergirl. No copyright infringement intended.

  
  


 

Cat Grant sat at her desk, eyeing her poor excuse of a coffee, wondering what she had done to get such an incompetent PA once again.

"Miss Teschmacher!" she called, seeing the mousy, young blonde pacing outside her office.

"Yes, Miss Grant." Eve Teschmacher came jogging in, a piece of paper in her hand that she was clutching tightly.

"When you first joined this company, I had given you clear instructions on how I take my morning coffee. Here is what I need, so you better write it down or have it tattooed on your arm.  _Bulletproof Coffee._  It's made from unsalted grass-fed butter with an extract of coconut oil that improves brain energy. And I need lots of brain energy. Do you understand, Teschmacher?"

"Yes, Miss Grant," Eve replied, nervously. "Miss Grant… this came in for you." She held out the paper. When Cat raised a brow, Eve continued, "It's the same as before."

"Another death threat?" Cat rolled her eyes at that. "Anything else?"

Eve hesitated before nodding. "This isn't just for you, Ma'am. Your daughter's name is written on the paper too."

That caught Cat's attention. "Give me that, Teschmacher."

Eve handed over the paper to Cat and stepped back. Her boss had gotten two death threats already. But whoever was sending these… they were much serious than before since Kara Danvers' life was also being threatened.

Cat sighed as she threw the paper on her desk. Since this matter involved her daughter, she had to talk to her ex-husband about it. And she dreaded to.

"Teschmacher, call my ex-husband. Tell him I have to speak with him immediately and that the matter is urgent, and tell him I will not wait till he gets back from his stupid premiere."

"Yes, Miss Grant." Eve left the room in a hurry and went to call Maxwell Lord-Danvers. She knew she would only reach his assistant because Mr. Lord-Danvers was a very busy man. His latest movie  _Mission: Possible III_ was premiering in two days. She would be lucky if Mr. Lord-Danvers even got her message.

* * *

Cat Grant did get that phone call she had been waiting for, albeit two hours later.

"Cat," Maxwell greeted, nervously. "Your assistant told Teagan this is important."

"Hello, Max. Yes, this is important. I didn't want to bother you with this but… I've been getting death threats."

Maxwell burst out laughing. "Who in his right mind would send  _you_  death threats?"

"Keira got one, too."

Maxwell's voice cracked, "Kara? They are threatening  _Kara_?"

"Yes. I just wanted to let you know that she won't be coming to your premiere. Also, could it be one of your crazy exes who has it out for us?"

"There were few who never got along with Kara. And almost every single woman I dated detested you… but I doubt anyone would threatened my poor baby."

"She's nineteen, Max. But I wouldn't expect you to remember that." Cat let out a sigh. "Help me out here. I'm going to ask Keira to come to CatCo straight from school. But she will get suspicious if I tell her she can't go to the premiere."

"Look, Cat. I can't miss this premiere. It's a huge thing for me. And Kara was really looking forward to attending it with me. She was going to come over to my place and we were flying to the premiere together… Why don't we just hire bodyguards? One for you and one for Kara."

"Bodyguards?" Cat pondered upon that thought. "That's not a bad idea."

"Catherine, I know a guy. Let me talk to him and get back to you. If all goes well, I could ask him to meet you before lunch. Don't worry about the payment."

"I can  _afford_  bodyguards, Maxwell."

"I'm paying for my daughter's security. Non-negotiable. Teagan will be in touch with your assistant. Give my love to Kara. Tell her I can't wait to see her."

Cat rolled her eyes and huffed before cutting the call. Maxwell did have connections so she wasn't surprised when a tall, dark man in a neat suit stepped into her office at 12:30PM sharp. Eve walked in with him and said, "Miss Grant, Mr. Lord-Danvers sent Mr. Henshaw in regards to the bodyguard requirement."

"Thank you, Eve." Cat walked towards the man and held her hand out for him to shake. "You must already know who I am."

"Yes, Miss Grant. I'm Hank Henshaw. Your ex-husband asked me to meet with you."

Cat gestured for Hank to take a seat. She showed him the paper with the threat message and said, "This is why. My daughter and I got a death threat; so my ex and I feel having a bodyguard would be beneficial. My darling daughter Keira—"

Hank cut her off by saying, "Excuse me, but it says  _Kara_ Danvers here." He pointed at the paper.

"Yes. That good for nothing ex-husband of mine had her name written wrongly after her birth. Trust that man to ruin even a baby's name."

Hank nodded. "Miss Grant, could you be getting death threats because of Mr. Lord-Danvers?"

"Max hates me, but he wouldn't want me dead, trust me. We have a daughter, that's a bond he just can't break." Cat frowned lightly. "But it could be one of his ex-lovers… By the way, which agency do you work for?"

"I own a company called Mars Security Services. At MSS, we offer bodyguard services to the elites. Mr. Lord-Danvers did business with us before," Hank replied. "If you wish to hire our services, I would only send my best men to protect you and your daughter."

"I want to meet them first."

"Of course. One of them is an ex-Marine. Lance Corporal Olsen and the other is a retired Air Force Officer, Major Matthews. I can assure you they will guard you and Miss Danvers with their lives."

"Again, I want to meet them." Cat gestured for Eve to come in. "If that would be all, Mr. Henshaw, I will now ask my assistant to give you emergency contact details and everything we have on the threats. I can't wait to see your  _best men_."

"It was nice meeting you, Miss Grant." Hank politely shook her hand and followed Eve out of the room. The assistant had gathered all the information he needed. He then left to meet with his team and let them know about their latest mission.

Hank Henshaw's team did know what punctuality was. The two men arrived ten minutes before their appointment and waited outside Cat's office, talking to Eve. Seeing them, Cat gestured for them to come in.

The man who reached out first to shake hands with her was taller than Henshaw, dark complexion and even darker, piercing eyes. "Miss Grant, I'm James Olsen. This is Mike Matthews. Mr. Henshaw sent us; we would be happy to help any way we could."

Cat shook hands with him and turned to face Mike. Major Matthews was younger than she expected him to be. He had quite the charming face and looked like a runaway model with his dark brown hair and blue-grey eyes. He must have been in his mid-twenties, so Cat was surprised to know he had actually retired from Air Force. Both men were dressed in impeccable black suits, had dark shades in their pockets and barely visible earpieces in their left ears.

"Nice to meet you, Gentlemen. Please, take a seat." Cat sat down and observed the two men.

Olsen was the senior of the two and he did most of the talking. Matthews sat quietly, observing the whole place. His ears twitched to even the slightest sound, so when her daughter came bursting into the room, her voice loud because of the headphones she wore, Matthews jumped in his seat.

"Mom! I can't go to Dad's premiere? But you  _promised_!"

"Keira, honey, take those headphones off, you are too loud. And please, we have company." Cat gestured towards the men who sat in front of her.

Kara took a step back when she saw the men dressed in all black. When her eyes fell on the younger man, who was eyeing her, she blushed and pulled the headphones off. "Sorry," she muttered, sheepishly.

* * *

Mike Matthews had been observing the place carefully. But when someone burst into the room, he turned around in his seat, his hand reaching for his gun. But Jimmy placed a hand on his arm and stopped him.

Mike's eyes narrowed when he saw the young girl who had stormed in. She looked nothing like the one he had seen in the photographs his boss showed him. The photographs portrayed another picture. The girl had long, wavy blonde hair and was dressed beautifully, like a model in those photos.

Mike's thoughts drifted to the events that happened earlier. Before coming to CatCo, Hank had showed them the photographs of Miss Danvers with her father.

_"You already know who Cat Grant is. This is her daughter. You have to know who she is before I can assign you to protect her._

_"Maxwell Lord-Danvers debuted when he was nineteen. Even though he was talented, his manager didn't allow him to mingle with the film fraternity. He ended up meeting Cat Grant, the infamous gossip columnist from The Daily Planet. Some say it was love, some say it was Cat wanting a new boy toy and Maxwell wanting an easy route to fame. Their affair was scandalous. Cat Grant became pregnant and Maxwell wasn't even twenty. They married in secret and she gave birth to a baby girl. At least they sensibly chose Danvers as her surname, not Lord-Danvers."_

_"Lord-Danvers sounds like some royal shit," Mike commented, only to be met by laughter from his team. "What's the deal with his name? Do we know?"_

_"Lord was his father's name, Danvers was his mother's. You must have heard of the famous actress of yesteryears, Delilah 'Ruby' Danvers? Maxwell is her grandson. He comes from a line of actors. But yes, imagine having people calling you 'Lord Danvers'."_

_"And his daughter? She's not an actress?" Mike asked, positively curiously about this girl, after seeing her pictures. Every single photograph was from some event. She was with her father in almost all the pictures, but there were some with her mother as well._

_"She's in college. From what we know, she isn't that social. Doesn't have many friends. This one will be difficult to handle. So, who is it going to be? James? Or Mike?"_

_"I think protecting Cat Grant will be the biggest challenge," James said._

_"I don't mind being assigned to the girl," Mike called. "I'll take her."_

And now, as he sat here looking at the girl, all he saw was a typical teenager. She wore ripped jeans, a baggy t-shirt and an oversized hoodie. She also wore a beanie; her blonde locks were all messy. The big headphones now hung around her neck. She wore dark, full-rimmed glasses and looked so out of place in this established firm. Her backpack hung from one shoulder. The many patches and pins clearly showed she was a huge Star Wars and Harry Potter nerd.

He couldn't help but check her out. She was strangely beautiful. Certainly not his type, but the way her cheeks reddened when he saw her, he cursed himself mentally.  _Too young!_

Just as they were looking at each other, James had told Cat Grant that he would be her bodyguard and Mike was assigned to Kara. Cat was okay with that.

"Sweetie," she called Kara. "If you want to be in LA by nightfall, you need to leave now. I hope you have packed your bags."

"I'm not going anywhere with him." Kara glared at Mike and walked out of the room. "Goodbye, mother."

Mike followed her out and muttered, "Guess you are stuck with me for a while, Princess."

"Oh, we'll see about that…" Kara glowered at him and walked away.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara said, “My car is parked right outside.”
> 
> “We aren’t taking your car.”
> 
> “Why not?!”
> 
> “Because it’s a f*ckin yellow beetle! Whoever is threatening you would easily know what you drive. Seriously, how old are you, kid?”
> 
> “I’m not a kid! Stop treating me like one!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you thank you THANK YOU for the brilliant response for the very first chapter! I'm so happy to know you guys liked what you read. Here's chapter 2 as promised. LOTS OF KARAMEL in this one and some Maxwell Lord-Danvers lol! Enjoy!

Mike rolled his eyes at the teenager who was quickly walking so to escape him. He jogged and caught up with her. Of course, a celebrity's daughter… her attitude made it all too clear.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" Mike reached out and grabbed her arm.

Kara pulled her arm out of his grasp. "First of all, don't touch me! And second, there's a private elevator right here that leads straight to the lobby. I'm going to go now. You can take your stupid, controlling ass out of that other elevator. Goodbye! No wait,  _badbye_!"

Mike let out a loud sigh. "You aren't going anywhere, young lady. Like it or not, you are stuck with me. And I'm only doing this because I'm getting paid. Don't think for once that I'm concerned about you, brat. And if you care about your parents, you will come with me. There's a death threat and this is a serious matter. I'm a professional and my job is to keep you alive. So do what I say and just walk with me."

Kara scowled and walked past him. Mike led her towards the other elevators that led straight to the underground parking. As soon as they got in one, Kara said, "My car is parked right outside."

"We aren't taking your car."

"Why not?!"

"Because it's a f*ckin yellow beetle! Whoever is threatening you would easily know what you drive. Seriously, how old are you, kid?"

"I'm not a kid! Stop treating me like one!"

"Then start acting like a grownup! God! You are being so difficult here!" They had just reached the basement. Mike took out his gun and stepped out, looking around. "Stay right behind me."

Kara rolled her eyes, but didn't argue. He led her to a sleek, black sedan. Opening the door for her, he urged her to get in fast.

"Seriously, why all these theatrics?" Kara asked as she buckled herself.

"You will thank me when you make it out alive, Princess." Mike started the car and quickly pulled out of the parking lot.

"Are you always like this or were you specially programmed to be an asshole bodyguard?"

"Nah! I taught myself how to be an asshole. You are in college, aren't you? You must know an asshole is a perfectly useful part of the body. Or do they not teach you that at school?" Mike smirked when he saw Kara's jaw drop. She shook her head and looked away.

When she looked out of the window, her eyes widened. "Do you know where I live?"

"Yeah. I checked the Google Maps before meeting your mother."

"And do you know where we are headed next?"

"To your father's place. Not the one in Beverly Hills, but the one on Malibu Road… Waterfront. Nice."

Kara eyed Mike suspiciously. "Is it a bodyguard's job to know all of this?"

"Theoretically, yes. I like to be thorough." Mike took a sharp left turn and was quickly pulling the car in front of Kara's home. But before he could say anything, she got out and headed straight to the door. Mike cursed as he got out and ran after her. "Hey kid!" he called, making her turn with a scowl. "You can't just waltz in!"

"This is  _my_  home, Bodyguard. I can do whatever I want!"

"Do you not take  _any_  of this seriously?" Mike marched towards her. "Your life is in danger. There could be someone hiding in here, lying in wait. Bang! One shot to your head and you are toast. You let me do my job, you understand? I have no time for your attitude. Next time we go to a place, I do a full sweep of the house or the room you are staying in. Till then you stand in one corner and wait for me to tell you it's safe for you. And when we are out in public, I will be right next to you whether you like it or not. And don't think of running away from me. Before you decide to not listen to me, think of your parents. Think of them if something happened to you. These are your parents… they care and they worry. They give a damn, so you better not mess this up for them."

Kara stood listening to him quietly. When he was done, she gave him a small nod. "I'm sorry," she whispered before heading towards her room.

Mike kneaded his forehead as he paced the living room. What had he signed up for? How was he going to babysit this brat?

Kara returned in few minutes carrying a suitcase in one hand and her backpack in the other.

"Let me get that for you," Mike offered as he went to take Kara's bags from her. She didn't protest; she simply followed him without a word.

To say the first hour on the road was quiet and boring would have been an understatement. Mike did stop at the gas station once. "Do you want something to eat?" he asked before stepping out.

Kara shook her head and went back to looking at her phone.

Mike left without another word. When he returned, he had brought her some soda and chips to snack on. "Eat it. There's still two hours journey left."

"Thanks," Kara muttered as she grabbed a can of soda. She took a sip before asking, "When you spoke of parents being worried, did that have to do with your folks?

"All parents worry, Kara. That's a part of their job description. You'll worry, too, when you become a mom."

"Something happened to you, right? Something that worried your parents. That's why you reacted like that."

Mike shrugged. "It was nothing. Just an accident."

"Were you always a bodyguard? Mom texted me about some Air Force officer protecting me or something. Was that about you?"

"You are awfully curious, aren't you?" Mike's lips twitched into a smile. "I'm a retired Air Force Major."

"Aren't you too young to retire? I mean, you guys have ranks, don't you? Didn't wanna be the big dude?" Kara took her glasses off, wiped them with her sleeve and put them back on.

"It wasn't my choice. I was severely injured and not fit to fly. It sort of gave my mother a panic attack, so I decided to just… leave and lead a civilian life."

"But you are a  _bodyguard_. Your job is risky. Is your mom okay with that?"

"Well, not really. She tends to worry about us. But all mothers do."

Kara gave him a small nod. "You know, CatCo was my mom's dream project. So she spent years building the company. She worked really hard so I didn't see her much. Dad was filming a lot those days, so he would take me to all the countries he filmed at. It was nice. I got to see those places, but then I got bored. I just wanted to go back home. Home was a place where I was alone most of the time. We did have butlers and maids, but… I wish I could have just lived with both my parents. I know they love me and care for me, but sometimes all we need is a hug and for someone to say that they are here for us. That's all it takes."

"You'll get along with my mother," Mike called out of the blue. "She feels the same. Whenever I used to be sick, she would just hug me and make me her famous chicken noodle soup. When I was at the academy, we had to train a lot. Sometimes it felt too much and all I wanted was to go back home to Ma. But I didn't want to be a quitter, so I kept going on. I just hope I made my parents proud. I can die peacefully knowing that."

"Hey! You aren't gonna die! How old are you again?"

Mike looked at her with a wicked glint in his eyes. "Oh, I turn forty-one in two months." When he saw Kara's jaw drop, he added, "My friends call me a Vampire. They say I don't age at all."

"He's  _that_  old!" Kara muttered under her breath.

When Mike burst out laughing, Kara looked up in confusion. "God, Kid! I'm only twenty-seven! How old did you think I was?"

"Twenty-five-ish?"

Mike chuckled. "So, what do you study?" He asked, grabbing a chip from Kara's

"English Literature and Journalism."

"Oh! You want to be a Journalist?"

Kara shrugged. "I like to write. Why do you ask?"

"I know a journalist. He writes a lot." Mike got quiet after that, focusing on the road.

* * *

 

They reached early and were greeted by the butler, Giles at the door.

"Welcome, Miss Kara," Giles greeted her. He simply nodded at Mike and offered to take Kara's bags in. Mike parked the car and grabbed his own bag and followed Kara into the house.

He hadn't been expecting Mr. Lord-Danvers there. Certainly not two nights before his big premiere. Mr. Lord-Danvers was a man who barely stayed at home. Maybe he made an exception since Kara was arriving.

"There she is!" he called, happily. "Look at you, Munchkin! You're taller than the last time I saw you!" He pulled Kara into a warm hug.

"Hi, Dad," Kara muttered against his shoulder. "It's just my new shoes."

Maxwell kissed her head and threw an arm around her shoulder. He looked at Mike with a genuine smile. Holding his hand out for Mike to shake.

"Hello, Mr. Lord-Danvers," Mike greeted him, mentally cringing at the name. "I'm Mike Matthews. I've been assigned to guard your daughter."

"Please, call me Max. It's nice meeting you. Would you like an autograph or a picture?" Maxwell gave Mike his trademark smirk. When Mike raised a brow, Maxwell burst out laughing. "I'm just kidding! I don't expect you to be a fan… Wait, are you? A fan, I mean."

Mike shook his head. "No, Sir. Sorry, I don't really watch movies."

"Of course, Kids these days prefer to Netflix and Chill!" Maxwell grinned at Kara, who grimaced and looked away. "You must be tired. Nancy has cooked up a storm. Have your dinner and go to bed, okay? Unfortunately I can't join you, I already ate. Special diet. I have to head out for an hour or two. Make yourself at home, Mike. If there's anything you need, just ask Giles. I'll see you in the morning, Pumpkin." Maxwell kissed Kara's head again. "We have some catching up to do."

"Bye, Dad. Have fun!" Kara waved to him and made her way upstairs to her room. Nothing had changed in the past year. All the stuff she had in the room was untouched. She knew the maids cleaned the room regularly, but it was oddly comforting to know all her things were in the same places she had left them.

Kara decided to take a quick shower. Once she had freshened up, she put on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and made her way downstairs. She was greeted by Nancy, the cook. Giles was there as well. Once Kara made her way back to the dining room, he served her delicious chicken pot pie and homemade hash browns. He left after serving her a glass of sparkling water with a lemon wedge.

Kara ate in silence. She was used to eating alone. But she suddenly remembered that Mike was here as well. She got up and made her way to the kitchen to ask Nancy or Giles if they had seen Mike. When she walked in, she saw Nancy serving Mike the same dinner she was having. He sat at the counter, talking to her.

"Would you like some wine with your dinner?" Nancy asked him. "We have beer as well." She gave him a kind smile; something about her reminded him of his mother.

Mike smiled back. "I'll take the beer, thanks, Nancy."

"Mike?" Kara called, walking in. Nancy had just stepped away to fetch Mike his drink.

"Oh hey! Is there something you need?" Mike stood up quickly.

"No. Why are you sitting here?"

"Ah!" Mike grimaced lightly. "Giles said I was supposed to eat here. Something about the staff… Don't worry about it, okay?" He smiled and sat back down. Kara was surprised to see him close his eyes and say a prayer.

And when Mike opened his eyes, Kara was seated next to him. "Just because you can't be at the dining room, doesn't mean I can't sit with you here." Kara gave him a bright smile and began to dig into her pot pie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooohh Kara doesn't really hate her hot bodyguard. What's going to happen next? Will they find anything in common?
> 
>  
> 
> _________________________________________________________________________
> 
> Kudos = Potstickers  
> Comments = Club Soda
> 
> Leave me some if you liked what you read! :)
> 
> If you like the story, don’t forget to Subscribe and Bookmark it, you’ll get a notification whenever there’s a new chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Did Mike come downstairs?” Kara asked Nancy, who was cutting up fruits for their breakfast.
> 
> “No, dear. He must still be in bed,” Nancy replied.
> 
> “Wait, the tall, cute bodyguard of yours?” Teagan asked.
> 
> “Yeah. You met him?”
> 
> “I did! Just this morning. I reached the place around five. When I went downstairs for a drink, I saw this guy sneaking out. He introduced himself as your new bodyguard. He’s out running now.” Teagan stood up, taking her coffee mug along with her. She headed towards the patio and pointed at the tall figure, dressed in all black, running on the beach.

The next morning dawned in bright and cloudless. Kara woke up to the smell of fresh coffee. She went to brush her teeth and freshen up. When she returned, she picked up her glasses and made her way downstairs.

As she crossed the room that Mike was staying in, she was tempted to open it to see if he was still asleep, but she stopped herself before she opened the door. She was happy that she got him to change his room last night. Giles was deliberately being mean to Mike. She was glad she had a word with him last night.

As she went downstairs, her mind slipped off to the conversation she had with Mike after the dinner last night.

_"You know what's the best thing about this place?" Kara asked as they walked out of the kitchen together._

_"I'm guessing it's not the butler."_

_Kara chuckled hearing that. "No. Giles was my grandmother's butler. After her death, he moved to Dad's place. He's a bit old-fashioned, you know. And no, the best thing about this place is the view! Dad got this house four years ago and he said he had the room with the best view waiting for me. But guess what? All the rooms upstairs face the beach." Kara smiled to herself as she headed upstairs. When she noticed Mike wasn't following her, she stopped short. "What is it?"_

_"Oh, my room is downstairs. Giles showed me to the room a while ago. I don't know what your usually routine is, but I hope your day doesn't start any earlier than five thirty in the morning. If it does, I might have to wake up early too."_

_"Wait, what do you mean by your room is downstairs? The guest room is upstairs next to my room."_

_Mike gave her a small nod. "I'm not really staying in the guest room, I guess."_

_Kara rolled her eyes and walked past Mike and headed straight to where the staff's rooms were. She walked into the smaller room next to Nancy's. It was sparsely furnished and had a smaller window that overlooked the pool. Kara noticed Mike's bag on the desk. She went and grabbed it and walked out._

_"Kara, what are you doing?" Mike asked, hurrying after her._

_"If you've left something in that room, can you just get it?" Kara knocked on Giles' door. The man stepped out few minutes later with a frown on his face. He straightened when he saw it was Kara. "Giles, a word." Kara gestured for the man to step out, when he did, she spoke, "Look, Giles, I don't know what you have against Mr. Matthews here. He is_ not _a staff! He's my personal bodyguard and his job is to protect me, which means he's answerable to me and my parents. He is a guest and he will be staying at the guest room and eating at the table with me and my dad. I'm going to show him to the guest bedroom. I'm guessing Teagan is in her old one. Good night, Giles."_

_Kara gestured for Mike to follow her, all the while carrying his bag up the stairs and into the guest bedroom._

_"You didn't have to do that," Mike called after her._

_"No, I did. I don't like seeing people being treated badly. You don't deserve that." Smiling, she waved at him. "Oh! I wake up at seven or later. Don't worry, I won't leave the house without you. You should go to bed, we have a long day ahead tomorrow. Good night, Mike."_

_"Night, Kara." Mike smiled at her and pulled his phone out of his pocket._

_When Kara stepped out, she lingered outside Mike's door for a while. He was talking to someone on the phone now, someone named Winn. Kara felt guilty of eavesdropping, so she hurried to her room._

_Sleep came to her quickly because it had been a long day. She knew the next few days were going to be hectic, but at least she would be spending time with her dad. She had really missed her old man._

As Kara made her way towards the living room, she ran into someone. Her eyes lit up when she noticed it was Teagan.

"Tea!" Kara threw her arms around the surprised woman's shoulders.

"Kara!" Teagan hugged her back. When she pulled away, she looked at Kara from head to toe. "My, my! You really have grown! Your father wasn't joking then. How are you, darling? Did you sleep well?"

Kara smiled brightly. "I did! Were you here last night when I arrived? Because I didn't see you."

Teagan led Kara to the kitchen. "I came her around five in the morning. Had to fly out for a family emergency. Anyway, enough about me. Would you like to drink something? I can smell coffee."

"Coffee would be great!"

Nancy greeted them both and poured them two cups of fresh, hot coffee. Kara smiled as she took a sip.

"Is my dad home?" Kara asked to nobody in particular.

It was Teagan who rolled her eyes and answered, "No, he called me last night saying he's going out and won't be home till morning."

Kara's smile fell. "Is it… is it a new girlfriend?"

Teagan winced lightly. "Unfortunately. She's a twenty something model, but looks awfully older!"

Kara could see the hurt in Teagan's eyes. She was aware of the feelings Teagan had for her father and she had also suspected he returned those feelings. But sometimes her dad was a jerk who ended up hurting people he loved, that included her mother.

Teagan Lee had come into their lives almost ten years ago. Kara could have termed it as a chance meeting but it certainly wasn't. Her dad's assistant, Eric Kingsley had quit his job because he was moving to back home to London. Maxwell didn't have any project that month and he had decided to spend the entire time with Kara. So he took her to Disneyland and then to his hometown, to see his mother.

His mother had thrown a grand party for him and Kara. Nine-year-old Kara Danvers had been bored and a bit pissed to see her dad dancing with all those women, who were throwing themselves at him. When no one was watching, Kara left the party and went downstairs, but she slipped and fell down the stairs, bruising her knee badly. It was Teagan who had found her. Teagan was a hired waitress and she had gone down to fetch more drinks. She was in her mid-twenties and gave Kara one of the kindest smiles she had ever seen. She had dark brown hair that reached up to her shoulders and hazel eyes. But the nasty bruise underneath her eye made Kara ask her if she was okay.

When Maxwell had found Kara, Teagan was bandaging her knee. Maxwell had been grateful of this young woman. He knew something was up with her and he wanted to help her. When he tracked her down, Maxwell found out that Teagan had just left an abusive relationship and she had had a miscarriage. She didn't have anywhere else to go and she had left college after getting married. That was when Maxwell decided to offer Teagan a job, as his personal assistant. At first he wasn't sure if she would be up for it, it was a demanding job, but within a month, he knew he could never have a better assistant. Teagan had gotten close to Kara as well; she was now like her second mother and Kara loved her dearly. Kara was just glad that Teagan came into their lives; her father sure had started spending more time with her thanks to his new assistant. It was years later that Kara realized that Teagan always managed Maxwell's tight schedule so well that he had enough time to spend with Kara almost every month.

"Did Mike come downstairs?" Kara asked Nancy, who was cutting up fruits for their breakfast.

"No, dear. He must still be in bed," Nancy replied.

"Wait, the tall, cute bodyguard of yours?" Teagan asked.

"Yeah. You met him?"

"I did! Just this morning. I reached the place around five. When I went downstairs for a drink, I saw this guy sneaking out. He introduced himself as your new bodyguard. He's out running now." Teagan stood up, taking her coffee mug along with her. She headed towards the patio and pointed at the tall figure, dressed in all black, running on the beach.

"That's him alright!"

"Hmm… he's cute. But a bit younger, huh?" Teagan grinned at Kara. At thirty-five, she didn't look her age. She looked a lot younger.

"He's too stuck up for you," Kara said in a hurry.

When Teagan's eyes widened, Kara reddened. "You have a crush on him! Kara! There's no need to be shy!"

Kara plopped on the couch and hid her face with a cushion.

"Who's being shy?" she heard her father's voice. Kara looked up with a big smile. "Hey bean!" Maxwell sat next to her and threw an arm around her shoulder. "Sleep well last night?"

"Hey, Dad! Yeah. How about you? Did you get enough rest?"

Maxwell's expression gave away that he didn't really sleep well. He yawned just then. "Sorry, I'm just… tired. With the premiere and interviews…"

"Save it, Max. You were too busy keeping that model company," Teagan called, rolling her eyes lightly.

Maxwell smirked at her. "Jealous, Tea?"

"Ha! Jealous of you? In your dreams, Max!"

Kara giggled hearing the banter. Just as she was about to speak, Mike ran up the stairs from the beach and stopped short when he saw them.

"Good morning," he greeted everyone.

Kara couldn't help notice how hot he looked, all sweaty with his clothes sticking to his body. He wore a white t-shirt and shorts. When Mike noticed Kara checking him out, he winked at her. Kara blushed and looked away, it was a good thing her father wasn't looking at Mike.

"Had a nice run, Mike?" Maxwell finally asked, looking up from his phone. Whatever he was reading on it, he wanted Teagan to read it as well so he passed her his phone.

"It was good, Sir. Thanks. I just need a shower." Mike excused himself and went into the house.

As he walked past Kara, she looked at his back. Her eyes drifting lower. It just struck her that she had never checked out a man before, especially his ass. Mike had a nice, firm ass. Well, he was an asshole with a nice ass.  _Why in the world was she thinking about Mike's ASS?!_

Kara let out a groan. When her father and Teagan looked at her oddly, Kara looked down sheepishly and muttered, "Sorry."

Breakfast was served by the time Mike joined them, which was less than ten minutes. They were having scrambled eggs, toasts, hash browns and bacon. Mike joined them and poured himself a glass of water. He hadn't known that they would start talking business right away.

"So," Teagan started. "Kara, you have a hair and nails appointment today. If you leave in an hour, you will be done before lunchtime. Mike will be driving you there and waiting with you. Mike, they have a nice lounge. Just take a book or an iPod with you. We leave for Metropolis at 6PM sharp. We will reach before midnight but try to get some sleep on the flight."

"Are we staying at a hotel in Metropolis?" Mike asked before taking a sip of water.

"Yes, Mike. It's just for two days."

"I hope I'm in a room right next to Kara's then." The bodyguard sounded a little serious, not wanting anything to mess with his job.

"Oh, that," Maxwell called. "You will be sharing a room with Kara."

"WHAT?" Kara was the one who raised her voice. Mike simply sat there waiting for an explanation.

"Don't worry, honey, it's a suite. You will have different bedrooms. And I really think we should not reveal the fact that Mike is your bodyguard."

"What do you mean?" Kara asked in confusion.

"Kara, you haven't had a bodyguard in all of these nineteen years," Maxwell said. "Not even when you were a baby. So if you suddenly show up with one, people will talk. Right now we don't need any unwanted attention on you. So, to play it safe, I have decided that Mike acts as your boyfriend."

"MY WHAT?"

Maxwell let out a sigh. "Munchkin, Mike will be your fake boyfriend. This way no one will doubt why he's with you all the time. This will work, trust me."

Kara looked at Mike, a bit lost. Here she was thinking she had to put up with this asshole bodyguard, but now he was going to be her fake boyfriend. How in the world was she supposed to survive this entire trip with him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idiots... falling... in love. That's all I can say! Also, Kara can't stop thinking about that ass! XD
> 
> How are you liking this story?
> 
> _________________________________________________________________________
> 
> Kudos = Potstickers  
> Comments = Club Soda
> 
> Leave me some if you liked what you read! :)
> 
> If you like the story, don’t forget to Subscribe and Bookmark it, you’ll get a notification whenever there’s a new chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I will, Dad." Kara kissed his cheek and went back to her seat. "I can't wait to tell Mom! She will freak out."
> 
> "Yeah. She will freak out alright. All she has to do is look at herself in the mirror."
> 
> "Max, no!" Teagan hit his arm with her napkin. Maxwell shrugged. Kara didn't seem to mind, she was used to her father's lame jokes, but Mike was trying his hardest not to laugh. So, he coughed. He knew he got caught when Kara frowned at him.

"Dad, I really think this is a bad idea," Kara drawled. Her father sat eating his 'healthy' breakfast, all the while telling Mike about Metropolis as if the young bodyguard hadn't visited the place even once in his life.

"Honeybun, trust me," Maxwell called again before putting a piece of his 'healthy' egg in his mouth and making a face. The omelette he was eating was greener than the smoothie he was going to drink, and Kara knew her father was regretting his decision to diet. "And Mike, if you need tips on dating and being a somewhat nice boyfriend, you should watch my movies  _'10 Things I Love About You'_ and  _'He's Totally into You'_. Ah… those were the nicer days. I did a lot of romcom. Now, I just focus on action and thriller… Muffin, did I tell you I got a part in the new Conjuring movie?"

Kara's fork fell out of her hand. She loved the Conjuring series! "Dad! Seriously?!"

Teagan chuckled. "Yes, really. We can't tell you which part, because it will end up spoiling the story, but Max is the lead."

Kara grinned and jumped to hug Maxwell. He chuckled and patted her head. "I talked to the director, Kiddo. He said I could bring you to the set, just not when we are filming the ghostly scenes or the climax. So you better be ready."

"I will, Dad." Kara kissed his cheek and went back to her seat. "I can't wait to tell Mom! She will freak out."

"Yeah. She will freak out alright. All she has to do is look at herself in the mirror."

"Max, no!" Teagan hit his arm with her napkin. Maxwell shrugged. Kara didn't seem to mind, she was used to her father's lame jokes, but Mike was trying his hardest not to laugh. So, he coughed. He knew he got caught when Kara frowned at him.

When they were done with breakfast, Mike saw Kara going upstairs. He ran and caught up with her.

"Hey Kid!" Mike called. When Kara turned around with a frown, he continued, "So, Teagan sent me the location of the salon. If you get ready now, we can leave soon. The maps show that there's a bit of traffic."

"Fine. I'll be down in ten minutes." Kara ran up the stairs and went to her room.

One thing Mike liked about Kara was that she was punctual. She was down in less than ten minutes, dressed in a pair of old jeans and a flannel shirt. Mike couldn't help but notice how she had left her hair open. Her beautiful locks could do with some care… care that Kara was refusing to give them by letting them open, messy all the time.

As if reading his mind, she said, "Why do my hair when someone is getting paid to do it? I'll only make it difficult for her if I touch it now."

"I didn't say a word." Mike shrugged and began to walk away. Kara had beautiful hair, he didn't understand why she just didn't want to take care of that beauty.

"You're an easy person to read, Mike," Kara called after him. She followed him to where his car was parked. Mike was observing the surroundings, making sure Kara was right behind him. Once they got into the car, Kara said, "It's easier this way. If I dress up nicely, the paps go nuts and camp outside my home, my school and even my favorite coffee shop all the time. At first I never understood why. But since my parents are always on the news, the media started paying attention to me as well. So I started dressing as simple as possible. Not doing my hair the way I wanted to. Started wearing nerdy glasses. They didn't like it. They wanted the other Kara, the beautiful one. And I was in no mood to grant that wish."

Mike's eyes were on the road. It was true that he had never gotten this much attention in life. Probably just one time… But that was after he was brought home after his accident on a mission. His parents and siblings had thrown him a homecoming party. Their closest friends and family had showed up. But all Mike saw was pity in their eyes. Pity that he had to leave the Air Force. Pity that he would never be able to fly again. Pity that he could barely walk. Mike knew that if it hadn't been for his therapist, he would have probably done something bad to himself.

"Hey!" Kara called loudly, making Mike snap out of his thoughts. "I lost you for a minute there. You okay?"

"Yeah… There's something I don't understand. You are beautiful. Why hide it? The paparazzi only pay attention to someone who's… common. They don't pay interest in someone who stands out. Be different. You can still do your hair, wear nice clothes and look pretty. If you choose to spoil your look because of some people who want to stalk you like they stalk many other celebs, you are the one losing here."

What Mike said made sense, but she wasn't going to agree and give him the pleasure of being right. So Kara simply pulled out her phone and started checking her social medias.

When they reached the salon, a woman came to usher Kara in. Another one came to guide Mike towards the lounge. He was glad that the lounge had a glass wall that separated it from the main salon, so he could keep an eye on Kara. He checked his email, talked to his boss and his brother, played a game or two and waited patiently for Kara to join him.

And when she did, his eyes widened and he nodded in approval. Kara had gotten a haircut, her hair now reaching just below the shoulders, her curls more pronounced, no longer messy, albeit wavy. She nodded to him and waited for him to join her.

Mike led her to the car. His eyes scanning the whole place quickly. He held the door open for Kara. Once she got in, he followed suit. The drive back home was quiet since Kara put on her headphones and ignored him.

* * *

 

Once they reached home, she thanked him for accompanying her and ran back into the house. Mike let out a loud sigh. Him and his big mouth! He shouldn't have talked about her appearance. He probably spoilt her entire mood.

As he made his way back into the house and towards his room, he heard Kara and Maxwell's voice coming from the room next to his. He didn't mean to eavesdrop but the father and daughter spoke loudly. Or maybe it was because the entire house was that silent.

"Dad," Kara called, plopping on the couch. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, honey. And don't worry, I'm not mad at all. You hair doesn't remind me of your mom's. Yours is way prettier, like me. Ugh… Cat."

"Do you… do you regret it?" Kara now sounded nervous. "Your relationship with mom… and  _me_."

"Regret you?" Maxwell's voice was somewhat somber. "I don't know what made you think I regret you, Kara. You are my miracle… my only miracle. It's true, I was too young when I met Cat. I had no idea what I was doing then. I grew up bound by so many rules that when I met Cat, I felt I could break all of them and be free. I was wrong… And I don't hate your mother. She's just annoying and stubborn and somewhat creepy. But she gave me you. You were a blessing, my darling."

Maxwell pulled Kara into a hug and kissed her head.

"You never loved mom?"

Maxwell straightened and looked his daughter in the eye. She had never questioned him before. He loved that about her. She was so understanding. But he felt that she would ask him that someday. He had been mentally preparing himself for that. Maxwell sat on his bed and let out a sigh.

"Not like how you love a person you wish to spend the rest of your life with."

Kara gave him a small nod. She had figured that part out already. Her parents divorced even before she was born. Their marriage had lasted couple of months. But they ended up being a part of each other's life because of her.

"When Cat told me she was pregnant, I freaked out. I had slept with her once. And I think I was too drunk to remember what had happened. She had been a great friend and an even better mentor. But we weren't careful… I married her out of duty. I didn't want you to be labeled an illegitimate child. Maybe the society wouldn't have bothered, but my family sure cared. Cat and I argued a lot… She didn't get along with my mother, who had moved into our marital home that was Cat's old apartment. All three of us slept in one bedroom… It was a nightmare! I ran away. Mother moved back to her estate. And Cat sent me the divorce papers. Everything happened too quickly. Media started paying more attention to us. It did advance Cat's career and also mine… They blew our relationship out of proportion, calling it the 'Affair of the Decade'. Cat and I constantly worried about keeping you away from the media. I know I haven't tried my best, but just know that I am trying everyday, sweetheart."

Kara sat next to her father and took his hand in hers. "I know you are, Dad… I just feel out of place. It's like I don't belong here."

"Seeking your belonging, huh? I did the same years ago. I finally found it, a bit late, but I still managed to. I'm sure you will find it too." Maxwell put his arm around her shoulder and kissed her head. "Now, how about we have lunch together? I cancelled all my plans to spend the whole day with you. Well… at least till we board later."

"Do you wanna watch a movie together?" Kara asked, hopefully.

"Sure! Anything you want."

"Can we watch Conjuring? To celebrate your part?"

Maxwell smiled. "Why not? Let me watch it for research. After all, a fake ghosty Nun is going to haunt me very soon." The father and daughter laughed out loud and made their way downstairs.

Mike decided to stay back in his room, but not for long. Maxwell had asked him to join them in the living room. Teagan was also going to watch the movie with them. Mike really wanted to make an excuse and leave, but the Danvers were persistent, so he gave in.

It was as if the father and daughter had memorized the entire movie, especially the scary parts. They didn't flinch or even gasp when something happened. All the reactions were coming from Mike and Teagan, who really hated horror movies.

Once the movie came to an end, they all went their ways, to pack their stuff and get ready for the flight. They were flying in Maxwell's private jet, but the chauffeur driven car was expected to arrive soon.

When Kara walked into her room, she narrowed her eyes when she noticed the curtains were drawn. Her room was darker than usual. As she moved in, trying to find the light, she heard the door close with a creak. Kara jumped when she realized she now stood in a dark room and she could barely see. She decided to find the light switch first, but just as she moved, she felt something touch her shoulder. Kara braced herself and turned around to see a ghostly white face.

"AHHHH!" she let out a scream.

Her tormentor was no ghost. It was just Mike flashing a light on his face and making scary faces.

"Dammit, Mike!" Kara punched him on the shoulder and pulled the door open.

She heard Teagan's voice downstairs asking her if she was okay.

"It's nothing, Tea. I just fell. I'm okay now." Kara turned to glare at Mike, who was lying on her bed, clutching his stomach and laughing.

"Oh my God! You should have seen your face! And you act as if horror movies don't scare you!" He threw back his head and roared with laughter only to be met by a pillow hitting his face.

"Don't think you'll get away with this, Mike!" Saying that, Kara stormed out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a bunch of idiots in love... How are you liking this story? Do you think Mike and Kara will come closer soon?
> 
>  
> 
> _________________________________________________________________________
> 
> Kudos = Potstickers  
> Comments = Club Soda
> 
> Leave me some if you liked what you read! :)
> 
> If you like the story, don’t forget to Subscribe and Bookmark it, you’ll get a notification whenever there’s a new chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Keira,” Cat answered on the second ring. “Reached Metropolis, darling? Maxwell didn’t forget you at the airport again, did he?”
> 
> “Mom, that was one time!”
> 
> “One time is enough for someone to kidnap you and sell you off! You were seven!”
> 
> “I know. I’m nineteen now, and I’m a big girl. I can look after myself,” Kara assured her mother. “And yes, we landed safely. On our way to the hotel now. I just wanted to hear your voice. I miss you, Mama.”

The little scare Mike had given Kara wanted to make her pull his hair out. He really thought he could get away with that. He even had a stupid smirk on his face all throughout their ride to the airport.

They were taken to where her father's private jet was parked. Mike did have the manners to carry her bags to the jet, even though there were people to do it.

But before stepping in, Kara noticed that he paled a little.

"What is it, Mike?" Kara asked. "Are you alright?"

Mike gave her a small nod. "It's nothing. It's just… the first time I'm stepping a foot on a plane after my accident. I was unconscious when they airlifted me and took me to a hospital."

"It's okay for you to fly, right?"

"Yeah. Don't worry about that." Mike gestured for her to go in. He then followed her.

The minute he stepped in and stowed the baggage overhead, he was greeted by a young, beautiful stewardess. She gave him a somewhat flirty smile, one that clearly made Kara jealous. So the young lady acted upon her jealousy and took Mike's hand in hers.

"Babe, why don't you sit next to me?" She pointed at a seat and pushed Mike on it. She then leaned closer to peck his cheek.

Mike seemed to be enjoying all this attention, so when Maxwell stepped in and called his name, he jumped on his feet, looking a bit befuddled.

"You okay there, Mike?" Maxwell asked with a big grin. "Come on! Let me show you the cockpit. Have you ever seen one up close? It's amazing! Come along."

Kara facepalmed herself. Trust her father for asking an Air Force Major if he had ever seen a cockpit. She followed Mike and her father to see them greeting the pilot.

Maxwell then pulled out his phone and gave it to Kara. "Honeybun, take a picture of us! I'll Instagram it and make  _your_  relationship official."

Kara sighed but gave in when Maxwell threw his arm around Mike's shoulder and told him to give Kara his biggest smile. The photo wasn't so bad once Kara finished taking it. She even sent it to herself and returned her father's phone back to him.

She was about to leave the cockpit when she noticed Mike looking around. Maybe he was reminded of his own time on whatever he flew during his time with the Air Force.

Mike joined her in a few minutes and buckled himself in. He was okay, he knew it.

Kara gave him a small, reassuring smile when he looked at her. Just then a notification popped up on her phone. She opened it to see it was the picture she had taken earlier of Mike and her dad in the cockpit.

And the caption read  _'On my way to #MissionPossible3 premiere with my darling daughter and her boyfriend, Mike. Did someone say #MikePossible? Lol! #FutureSonInLaw #Maybe (winking face emoji)'_

"Dad! Hashtag future son-in-law?" Kara asked, looking at her father in disbelief. "Why would you do that?"

"Well, how am I supposed to make it seem like you two are serious about each other?! He's going to be with you everywhere, Kare-bear!"

Kara sighed hearing her childhood nickname. What was she going to do now? The whole world would know she was with Mike… Even Noah.

"You okay?" Mike asked, as their flight was about to take off.

"Umm… no, I have flying anxiety," she muttered, looking a bit pale.

Mike pulled something from his pocket and handed it over to her. "Chewing gum helps. I always did it when I flew."

"Was it fun? To fly all by yourself?"

"It was magical!" Mike smiled a heartbreaking smile. "My father's friend owned a plane. It was a four-seater, single-engine, high wing aircraft. With a Continental O-300 engine. The top speed goes up to 302 km/h and the cruise speed… somewhere around 226 km/h. I was around fifteen when I first flew it. I didn't have a license and it was super risky. Kept it a secret from my Ma, because she always worries so much. But she ended up finding out because my brother can't keep his mouth shut… My dad flies as well. Well, he used to. Not anymore. My mother banned all of us from flying another plane again after my accident."

"How bad was it?" Kara asked, a bit curious now.

"It was actually a search and rescue mission. One of our men crashed while he was returning to the base. I was leading the search. I was able to locate him and inform the others, and they successfully managed to rescue him. I was flying alone… and I don't know what happened… there was a lot of radio interference. The compass and the whole navigation system weren't responding properly. I was flying blind for over ten minutes. It was hazy that day. And I knew something bad was going to happen. I didn't notice the hill…"

"You crashed your plane." It wasn't a question. Kara understood what had happened.

"Not into the hill, I pulled up but hit the wing hard. I ended up crashing into trees. When I tried to escape, I was locked in. It was as if everything was wrong with my plane, one I personally checked that same morning. I managed to break the glass and get out. But getting out wasn't easy. I ripped my back open with the broken glass. I was in pain, but the adrenaline helped me escape. It's just… my plane was caught up in those big trees. While getting out… I fell."

Kara paled hearing that. But she gave Mike a small nod, asking him to continue.

"I don't really remember how I was rescued. I only woke up almost a month later at a hospital. They put me in a medically induced coma. Once I woke up, they ran a lot of tests. Then my parents took me home... Everything else is history."

"But you never flew again." There was sadness in Kara's voice, the same sadness that flashed in Mike's eyes.

"No. I almost took a test to see if I was fit to rejoin the Air Force. But I couldn't… my father had had a heart attack when he got the news that I was injured. I couldn't risk putting his life in danger again."

That was the moment Kara realized why Mike was so annoyed when she walked into her house without him. It was true, if something happened to her, her parents would be hurt. Heartbroken even. She couldn't do that to them.

Just then, Maxwell walked towards Kara's seat and patted her head. "Sweetheart, it's a long journey. Take a nap. The bed is free for you to use, you know that, right?"

"Yeah, but I'm fine, Daddy."

"I insist, honey. Your mother is already giving me a hard time for taking you to a premiere when you have college."

"Well, I am getting a long weekend, so you don't have to worry about school." Kara smiled. He was always concerned about her every time she was visiting him. He had gotten a private jet of his own when she was around ten. Since then, whenever she flew with him, she got the bed.

"Tea is already asleep," Maxwell said. "I need to start reading the Conjuring script. The filming starts in two weeks!"

"No rest for the wicked?" Kara chuckled when she saw her father nod.

"No rest for the wicked," he avowed. "Now go, go take a nap."

Kara gave in and stood up. She could see that Mike was looking at her a bit weirdly. He wanted to check the room before she went to rest in it.

"Umm… Kara, can you show me where the restroom is?" Mike asked, getting up as well.

"Sure! Come along." She smiled at him, thankful that he figured out a way to accompany her. Maxwell patted her head and went back to his seat.

Mike followed Kara quietly. When they reached the room, she gestured for him to go in. Asking her to wait outside, he took his gun out and entered the room. Mike returned within two minutes.

"All clear."

"Did you really think someone would be hiding in there with a gun?" Kara rolled her eyes at him as she walked in.

"Better be safe than sorry, Princess."

"Stop calling me Princess," Kara shot at him.

"Fine…  _Brat!_ "

"Why you!"

Mike flipped her off as he walked back to the cabin. Kara huffed and closed the door behind her. She angrily jumped on the bed and punched a pillow. She hated it when Mike treated her like a kid.

* * *

 

Mike had returned to the cabin, where he spent the next hour reading a book and the rest of the journey sleeping. He didn't get much sleep because of his job, except for holidays, so he tried to squeeze in a nap whenever he had free time. When he woke up, he saw Kara back in her seat, eating her dinner.

The flirty stewardess was next to him in a second, asking him if he would like to have his dinner now. He nodded and thanked her. She was back in less than three minutes, now asking him if he wanted some champagne with his dinner.

"Do you have soda?" Mike asked.

"Yes, we do," the stewardess replied with a big smile. "I'll be back in a minute. Enjoy your meal."

His eyes fell on Kara when he heard a huff. She was angrily shoving food into her mouth, glaring at the stewardess' retreating back.

Mike chuckled. "What's up, Brat? You jealous?"

"Shut up, Mike! Why would I be jealous?"

"Well, she  _is_  flirting with your  _boyfriend_." Mike teased. "You should have seen your face! Remind me to take a picture next time."

"There won't be a next time, Matthews!" When she didn't get a reply, Kara looked at Mike, only to see him murdering his food.

"Don't call me that," he muttered darkly.

"Sorry," Kara squeaked. "It's your name, that's why… you know."

Mike snapped out of whatever what bothering him and looked at Kara again. "I'm sorry, I just… call me Mike and we'll be fine."

"Fine, Mike," Kara grumbled.

They ate the rest of their dinner in silence. It didn't take them long to reach Metropolis. When they did, they were escorted to the cars waiting for them. Maxwell and Teagan were going in a separate car. Kara didn't seem to mind one bit since Mike was with her. If they were really doing this whole fake relationship thing then she had to be comfortable riding with her  _boyfriend_  alone.

Kara decided to call her mother as they headed to the hotel. To tell her that they had reached Metropolis safely.

"Keira," Cat answered on the second ring. "Reached Metropolis, darling? Maxwell didn't forget you at the airport again, did he?"

"Mom, that was one time!"

"One time is enough for someone to kidnap you and sell you off! You were seven!"

"I know. I'm nineteen now, and I'm a big girl. I can look after myself," Kara assured her mother. "And yes, we landed safely. On our way to the hotel now. I just wanted to hear your voice. I miss you, Mama."

"Oh baby, I miss you, too. I came home and totally forgot you weren't there. The house is so quiet."

"What about Anne? She didn't come to cook you dinner?"

"Anne has left town. Her sister is terribly ill and she wanted to take some time off. I'm fine with it. I won't be home much. And you do have a wide variety of takeout menus, sweetie."

Kara grinned. "Yup! I do. Anyway, Mama, I will call you tomorrow? We are reaching the hotel soon and all I want to do is sleep."

"Yes, you do that, darling. Let me know how the premiere was. And say hi to that  _boyfriend_  of yours." Cat's tone was light as if she knew about the whole fake boyfriend thing. "Your father called me earlier and told me about his  _excellent_  plan. I normally don't agree with the man, but he's right. If that hot bodyguard pretends to be your boyfriend, he can be around you all the time without causing suspicion. But if anything goes wrong, remember, Mommy taught you Karate! And how to kick a man in his balls. Do it. Okay?"

"I will, Mom. Don't worry. Good night."

"Good night, my darling. I'll speak with you later."

Once Cat cut the call, Kara felt Mike's gaze on her. "What?" she asked.

"Don't even think of kicking me in my balls, Brat!"

Kara grinned at him widely. "We'll see about that…  _Gramps_!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Having pet names for each other is such a couple-y thing to do! Are these two getting close?
> 
> I'm having such a great time writing this story! I hope you're having fun reading it too! Let me know. You can always leave a comment. :)
> 
> _________________________________________________________________________
> 
> Kudos = Potstickers  
> Comments = Club Soda
> 
> Leave me some if you liked what you read! :)
> 
> If you like the story, don’t forget to Subscribe and Bookmark it, you’ll get a notification whenever there’s a new chapter.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara thought that he was going to retire for the night, so she started pulling out her pajamas from her bag and started undressing. As she stood in her bra and panties, the door to her room opened again and she screamed.
> 
> "Sorry!" Mike shouted back.
> 
> Kara hurriedly pulled on her pajamas and went to open the door. "Don't you know how to knock?!"
> 
> "It's your fault you didn't lock the door, Brat!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GET READY FOR A FUN CHAPTER!

"GRAMPS? What an awful name that is! Do I look like a grandfather to you?!" Mike made an appalled face.

"Well,  _Brat_  is even worse, you know!"

"Wait, why does your mother call you  _Keira_? Is that a nickname?"

Kara shook her head. "It's a long story."

"Well, we have some time to reach the hotel." Mike pointed outside the window. They were stuck in traffic.

Kara let out a loud sigh. "Oh God! I wanted to go and sleep!"

"You can take a nap, if you want. I'll wake you up once we get there."

"No, that's okay," Kara said before yawing lightly. "About my name. Mom wanted to name me Keira. That was her mother's name. But when the nurse asked what my name was after I was born, to fill out the paperwork, my dad misheard Keira and thought it was Kara. He liked that name so he went with it. But my mother refuses to call me Kara now. It's okay, I got used to it."

"Imagine Keira Danvers."

"It should have been Keira Grant-Danvers, but Dad's mom threw a fit hearing that. She was a little scary."

"Talk about a dysfunctional family." Mike chuckled, but he stopped himself when he realized what he had just said.

Kara didn't seem to mind. She grinned and nodded. "What about your family? Not dysfunctional, I'm guessing."

"No, we are very normal. My folks own a farm in a town you probably never heard of. My second oldest brother though… he has a weird sense of humor. When everyone else said my plane was having problems, Winn thought it was probably aliens."

Kara chuckled loudly. "Aliens? Is your brother a huge nerd?"

"He is…  _And_  a computer genius! There's not a single code he can't crack."

"Having a genius brother must have some perks." Kara felt a twinge of jealous when she spoke of Mike's brother. She had always wanted a sibling.

She pulled out her phone to check her social media since their car was barely moving and Mike seemed to be texting someone.

He got a call just then. With a small smile on his face, he answered it. "Hey C! Yeah… Just for two days. I don't know, man… I'm here for work. Don't know if I'll make it… Yup, Winn's great… I'll text you once I reach the hotel. Laters!"

Kara tried her hardest to not pay attention to Mike talking. She had no idea why this man fascinated her so much. She had never felt like this about anyone before. Not even Noah.

As she scrolled through her newsfeed, Kara came across the picture she had taken of her father and Mike earlier. Her eyes widened as she saw the likes count. 1,073,575 likes and counting. There were over fifteen thousand comments on his post. She didn't know why she checked Twitter next. But as soon as she did, she regretted it. Trust her father for making Mike viral. A magazine had tweeted about the picture and there were many comments underneath it. 

 

 

 

> **CHASE @** CHACEMag 5h
> 
> Maxwell Lord-Danvers heads to the Metropolis premiere of #MissionPossible3 with daughter, Kara Danvers and her new, handsome boyfriend, Mike. Lucky Miss Danvers is all we can say. Who is this #MysteriousMike?
> 
>  
> 
> **Sarah**  @SarahfulBarnes 5h
> 
> Replying to @CHACEMag
> 
> Kara Danvers is so dull. Why do hot guys only fall for such chicks?
> 
>  
> 
> **Melissa Wood**  @MrsMelissaWood 4h
> 
> Replying to @SarahfulBarnes
> 
> Don't be jealous. They are young and in love. Kara might be the daughter of a superstar but I've heard she's down to earth. #MysteriousMike and Kara will make a great couple! #IShipIt #KarMike
> 
>  
> 
> **Leanne**  @LordDanversFanatic 3h
> 
> Replying to @CHACEMag
> 
> can't wait 2 c Max in #MissionPossible3! heard he's in a double role! when is #MissionPossible4 coming out? any idea, @MaxwellLordDanvers?
> 
>  
> 
> **Teagan Lee**  @TeaganLee 10m
> 
> Maxwell will be hosting a Q&A on his Twitter account tomorrow. Send in your questions at #AskMaxwell at 9AM EST. And no, he will not be answering any questions about his daughter or #MysteriousMike. #MissionPossible3 @MaxwellLordDanvers
> 
>  
> 
> **Leanna**  @LordDanversFanatic 2m
> 
> I LOVE YOU! (red heart emoji) @MaxwellLordDanvers #AskMaxwell
> 
>  
> 
> **Noah**  @noahdelaneywrites 1m
> 
> When will Maxwell's talented daughter start acting? Honored to be in a play with her. #AskMaxwell

 

Kara reddened as she read the last tweet. It was Noah! Noah Delaney! But why did he tweet that out in public?!

"Hey! You look red. You have a fever or something?" Mike asked, reaching out to touch her forehead. "Brat, you are burning up!"

"I'm fine, don't worry about me." Kara pushed his hand away and scrolled through the #AskMaxwell tag. A particular tweet caught her eye.

  

 

> **Winn @** WinnNotSoSlow 50s
> 
> When your little brother starts trending and you're at home binge watching #Brooklyn99 and eating takeout… #MysteriousMike

 

 

"Is your brother Winn on Twitter?" Kara asked suddenly.

Mike, who had actually been texting Winn that very second, looked up and raised a single brow. "How did you know?"

"Because he tweeted using the hashtag they came up for you. Hashtag MysteriousMike. Why is your brother's handle WinnNotSoSlow?"

Mike burst out laughing. "Can I see that?" When Kara handed him her phone, he read Winn's tweet and grinned widely. "His full name is Winslow. When we were little, kids used to call him Winn  _Slow_. That's why he came up with that username. What is this tag? Why am  _I_  trending?"

"A magazine posted about Dad's pic and you suddenly started trending." Kara yawned again. By now they had reached the hotel.

Kara got a message from Teagan saying they had reached the hotel a while ago, avoiding the traffic because their driver drove like a maniac. Kara then replied back saying she just arrived and she would be heading to her room now. She got another message from Teagan as Mike stood asking for the room keys. Teagan wanted to meet them in the morning after Maxwell's Twitter Q&A ended.

"Shall we go?" Mike asked, taking the keycards in his hand. He gestured towards the elevator. A bellboy followed them, wheeling their luggage. Mike insisted in taking the bags up by himself and gave the bellboy a tip.

He wheeled Kara's luggage with his own duffle bag perched over it. Kara got in after him and he pressed the button to the 25th floor.

"Did you bring a suit?" Kara asked, seeing as all he had was a duffle bag and a backpack.

"Actually, no. I do have my work suits but your father insisted I wear something… posh. Teagan said I have to go out tomorrow to get one. Your dad's paying for it. She said the suit shop is right next to the one you are getting your dress at."

Kara gave him a small nod, another yawn escaping her. "Sorry," she apologized and turned away.

When they reached the 25th floor, Mike's eyes met hers. "Stay behind me. And don't enter the room till I say so."

Kara nodded and waited outside with their luggage. Mike did a quick but thorough sweep of the entire suite. When he returned, he took all the bags and walked in.

"Choose a room. They both look the same to me."

Kara walked towards the first room. The interiors were beautiful. The second room looked the same, so she decided to stay in this one. Mike kept her bags in her room and walked out.

Kara thought that he was going to retire for the night, so she started pulling out her pajamas from her bag and started undressing. As she stood in her bra and panties, the door to her room opened again and she screamed.

"Sorry!" Mike shouted back.

Kara hurriedly pulled on her pajamas and went to open the door. "Don't you know how to knock?!"

"It's your fault you didn't lock the door, Brat!"

"Whatever! What do you want now?"

The man sighed and held a glass of water and a pill for her to take. "Tylenol. For your fever. Now go to sleep."

Kara took the medicine from him and thanked him, sheepishly. He was about to leave, but he reached out to pat her head. "Sleep tight, Kid."

Kara didn't close the door once Mike left. She had no idea why she felt this safe when he was around.

She fell asleep the moment her back touched the bed. Kara didn't know that Mike was lingering outside her room. When he heard her snore, he chuckled lightly and headed back to his room.

* * *

 

The next morning, Kara woke up with a start when she heard a door bang. She jumped out of her bed and headed out of her room to see Mike walking in, running a hand through his hair. He looked pissed.

"Mike, you okay?"

He looked up and shook his head. "Those paps are crazy, man! I thought they were going to beat me up!"

Just then Kara noticed what he was wearing. He wore black jogging pants and a tight dark blue t-shirt. Maybe he had gone for a run. But he didn't seem to be sweating like before.

Mike headed towards the fridge to take a bottle of water. He drank some and plopped on a couch. "I went out for my early morning run. Your dad has some more security, so I asked one of them to keep an eye on our door. I knew you wouldn't wake up this early… As I stepped out, someone shouted my name and I looked up. There were flashes everywhere. These guys… they were shouting and asking me questions, like how long have we been dating and where we met. And if I'm going to the premiere or not. One of them even tugged at my arm. The hotel guards helped me get away from the paps."

Kara moved closer to examine the nasty red bruise on Mike's arm. She knew that the paps could be… daunting at times. She went to the fridge to see if there was something cold to put on Mike's arm. She found a can of soda.

"Here! Keep it on the bruise." Kara handed over the can to him and took a seat nearby.

They sat in silence as Mike nursed his bruise. Suddenly he looked up at her and asked, "So, you got a boyfriend? A cute boyfriend? Won't he be upset to see Twitter go crazy about us?"

Kara lowered her head and said, "Umm… no. I mean, I won't call him my boyfriend. We just went out on a couple of dates."

"Ah!" Mike tried to hide his disappointment. "Who made the first move?"

"I'm sorry?"

"I mean, did you ask him out or did he?"

Kara shrugged. "Well, it's fun to study with someone so we go out on study dates."

"And what do you do on study dates?" Mike asked curiously.

"Err… study?"

"So you two have been going out… to fuckin study? Like, that's all you do?"

Kara narrowed her eyes at him. "What else do people do on study dates, Mike?"

"I don't know… Fuck? I would!"

"Ewww! I can't believe you just said that!"

"What do you mean? I'm a man, I have needs. And what kinda guy is he that he hasn't made a move on you yet? You  _are_  beautiful! And have a bit of brains too."

Kara didn't know if that was a compliment or an insult. She looked away. "Noah isn't like that, Mike. He's decent."

"Well, why don't  _you_  ask him out then?"

"It's not that easy! I don't have any experience with all this. I have never dated anyone before."

Mike's jaw dropped. "You mean to say you are a virgin?"

Kara reddened at that. "Yes," she said in a low voice. "Look, I'm not the kind of a girl who would just go to a guy she likes and asks him out! That's not me."

Mike scratched his chin lightly. "What if I teach you? What if I help you with your… umm… inexperience problem?"

Kara froze hearing that. _Was Mike out of his mind?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Join the conversation! Tweet using the hashtag #MysteriousMike! Let's see what you guys think of this hot bodyguard! ;)
> 
> _________________________________________________________________________
> 
> Kudos = Potstickers  
> Comments = Club Soda
> 
> Leave me some if you liked what you read! :)
> 
> If you like the story, don’t forget to Subscribe and Bookmark it, you’ll get a notification whenever there’s a new chapter.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Ready to do this?" Kara asked, her hold on Mike tightening.
> 
> Mike took a long breath and nodded. "Born ready!"
> 
> They walked the carpet, smiling at the cameras. When they finally stood where they were asked to, all they could see were flashes. The photographers kept shouting their names.
> 
> "Kara, right!"
> 
> "Mike, left!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who made their red carpet debut?

Kara blushed furiously. "Mike, you better not be joking!"

"Hey! Look, I know we started off on the wrong foot. But you are a nice girl, and I want to help you out. I have nothing to lose. I will give you advice and some useful tips on the whole dating thing. Before you know it, you'll be asking this No dude out soon."

"Noah. His name is Noah. And he's in college with me… I can't mess this up, Mike. He's like… the only friend I have!"

"But if this works out, this guy will be your boyfriend! Don't you want that?"

Kara looked away. "But that's not the only thing I need help with… I don't know how it's done. I mean, I've seen enough movies and read some… smutty mangas, but that's about it."

It was Mike's turn to redden now. "Umm… you will eventually get to that as your relationship progresses. Anyway, I'm starving! We should go downstairs and eat something." Mike got up and hurried to his room.

This sweet, innocent girl had no idea what she was talking about. Was he actually attracted to her? No! That was impossible. She was a brat!

He was thankful that Teagan was downstairs when they went to have breakfast. He felt at ease around this woman. She had a great sense of humor and she was sarcastic, too. Teagan then told them that Maxwell's Q&A would take some time, so she gave Mike all the instructions she needed to give. Mike was to take Kara to a boutique downtown where Kara would try couple of dresser the designer had for her. Once she was done, Mike had to go to the get his suit next door.

"Don't forget to get a tie," Teagan said. "Ties look great on men… Anyway, you two can hang out for the rest of the afternoon, if you want. Or better yet, come back and take a nap because it will get really late after the premiere and you have to head back to LA in the morning. Unfortunately, you guys will be flying commercial since Maxwell needs to leave to Paris in the evening. But I have booked first class for you, of course. Here are the booking details, Mike. A car will be waiting for you two at 6 in the morning. You flight is around 9AM. And Kara, if I don't see you after the premiere's party tonight, I will see you next week for sure, darling."

Kara smiled at Teagan. "That's okay, Tea. I'm just glad you are always there for my dad."

Teagan's smile dropped hearing that. "Umm… you know that model I mentioned earlier? She will be at the premiere. She's also flying to Paris with us. Unless something comes up, that is. She's here… She's staying with Max. He said he would introduce you two later."

Kara's hand tightened in a fist hearing that. Was her father blind? Couldn't he see how much Teagan loved him? Yet he dated those annoying models.

Seeing how tense the air around them was, Mike spoke, "I can choose a suit, right? Or has Mr. Lord-Danvers done that too?"

"Oh! Don't worry," Teagan replied. "You will have two or three designs to choose from. Just go with black. And don't forget the tie."

Mike gave her a small nod and got back to his food.

The rest of the morning was uneventful. Mike felt bad that he couldn't even squeeze in few minutes with his brother. Kara had wanted to talk to her father first. She went into Maxwell's room alone, and when she returned, she seemed furious.

Mike guessed that Kara had just met her father's new paramour, whoever she was. They left to the boutique soon after that.

 _Mademoiselle_  was an affluent establishment and Mike swore he saw a famous actress shopping there. Kara was led to the other corner, where the designer was waiting for her.

"Kara, darling," the designer, Siobhan Smythe, greeted her. "You look beautiful as ever. I can proudly say you took after your father."

"Siobhan, hi," Kara muttered. She didn't know why her father insisted for her to wear clothes designed by Siobhan for the events. He had, after all, a long history with her. Maxwell and Siobhan had dated when Kara had been fourteen. They parted on good terms, of course. That's why her father still did business with Siobhan. But Kara couldn't forget the hateful words Siobhan had said about her mother once. There was no reason for her to like or even tolerate this woman.

"And this is?" Siobhan looked at Mike, admiringly. She might have been in her mid-thirties, but that didn't stop her from wanting younger men.

Kara took Mike's hand in hers and said, "My boyfriend, Mike."

Siobhan's smile dropped a little, but didn't flatter. "Of course. Hi, I'm Siobhan. Very nice to meet you."

Mike shook her hand. "Mike. Nice to meet you, too."

"So, shall we?" Siobhan gestured for Kara and Mike to take a seat. She then waved at her assistants, who brought out three mannequins; all three were rich, expensive dresses that probably cost more than Mike's yearly income.

He didn't know why none of them suited Kara. They just didn't seem like her style.

"A Haute Couture gown in silver," Siobhan spoke, pointing at the first mannequin. "It will look beautiful on you."

Kara, who had worn a simple yellow sundress with white sneakers, did look out of place here, but didn't care one bit. So when the other patron, who had decided to check out the dresses Siobhan was showing her, looked her up and down, Kara simply raised a brow and looked away.

The second dress was a gold, figure-hugging, mermaid cut gown. Again, not Kara's style. The third was sheer lace, reveling dress in black.

"Siobhan, do you mind if I see the other dresses?" Kara asked, getting up. Mike got up as well, keeping an eye on their surrounding, staying close to Kara.

"Umm… sure," Siobhan muttered. "Didn't you like any of the dresses I just showed you?"

"Oh! Actually, I was looking for something simpler," Kara confessed. She began to look around. Something caught her eye a few minutes later. She pulled it out to see it was a floral embroidered tulle skirt in black. The embroidery was beautifully done in color.

Kara had no idea why she held it up for Mike to see. She should have been showing it to Siobhan.

"It looks good," Mike said, looking at the skirt. "What will you wear over it?"

"Oh! We have much, much better options for you to choose from, Kara," Siobhan hurried. "That's just… a simple skirt."

"That is exactly what I wanted," Kara said with a bright smile.

When she felt Mike touch her arm, she looked up at him. He leaned closer and whispered, "How about a plain white shirt over it?"

Kara liked that idea. She immediately asked if they had button-down shirts here. Siobhan's assistant had just made a new one, and she was more than happy to fetch it for Kara.

Another assistant had designed a black belt that could go with the shirt. They gave it to Kara, who went to try the clothes.

The clothes fit her perfectly. When she stepped out, she saw Mike nod in approval. Then he winked at her and said, "Looks great, babe. You should totally get it!"

Kara did get those clothes, not before asking the assistants their names, who had designed both the shirt and the skirt. Siobhan was upset by what had happened. But another rich customer showed up and she totally forgot Kara.

Mike took the bags from Kara as they stepped out. Their next stop was next door.  _Monsieur Noir_  was where Maxwell got his suits from. They sold various branded suits. When Mike walked in with Kara, doing a quick scan of the place, his eyes fell on an all-black suit. It also looked his size. Once Kara sat down with the bags, he went to look at it.

The shirt was black as well, so it looked perfect. He decided to go try it. To his surprise Kara had been waiting outside the dressing room. She held a black tie in her hands. One with a simple, short red line in the middle.

"This will look good with your suit," Kara said, handing him the tie.

Mike put it on quickly. He did wear tie everyday to work, he was now an expert.

"So? How do I look?"

Kara made him twirl around. "You look great! Don't be surprised if you get a modeling contract!"

Mike grinned as he went to change into his clothes. Once the bill was settled, they headed out for lunch. Kara wanted to grab a bite before they went back to the hotel, not wanting to run into her father or his new girlfriend.

Lunch was simple. They ate at a nearby café and then headed back to the hotel. Thankfully they managed to enter without being seen by any paps.

At dusk, they began to get ready to leave for the premiere. A hair stylist had come over to do Kara's hair earlier. She left it open, her blonde locks cascading in curls.

"Ready to go," Mike asked, putting on his watch. He wasn't wearing his earpiece to communicate with his team, but his watch had the same feature.

Kara stepped out of her room and nodded. She looked absolutely beautiful. Just like the girl he had seen in the pictures earlier, but even more now that he had gotten to know her.

They weren't going with Maxwell, Teagan and Keelan Stone, Maxwell's girlfriend. Kara was glad when Teagan informed she was getting a car for herself and Mike. There was no way she was going to be okay with riding with Keelan. The woman was a typical bimbo with no brains. Maxwell was only with her because of her looks.

The ride to the premiere was quiet since Kara was a bit nervous to be making the red carpet debut with Mike as a couple.

Mike seemed to be okay for someone who was just pushed into this weird situation. Maybe he was just a great actor.

When their car stopped, Mike got out first and went to get Kara's door. The many paparazzi standing there waiting for them began to call her name first, then Mike's, as if they had known him for ages. Kara waved to them and slipped her arm in Mike's as they made their way to the red carpet.

An organizer lady rushed to them and greeted them. "Kara, Mike, hi! My name is Karen. If you could stand over that marked spot on the carpet, they will take your pictures now. Kara, they might want yours separately as well. Enjoy the premiere! If you need anything, I'll be right here!"

"Thanks, Karen," Mike said after they had thanked the woman, who went to greet the other guests.

"Ready to do this?" Kara asked, her hold on Mike tightening.

Mike took a long breath and nodded. "Born ready!"

They walked the carpet, smiling at the cameras. When they finally stood where they were asked to, all they could see were flashes. The photographers kept shouting their names.

"Kara, right!"

"Mike, left!"

It didn't seem to stop. And then they asked Kara to pose alone. Mike leaned closer to whisper in her ears, "I'm close by so don't worry… And smile, you look lovely!"

Kara gave him a big smile and turned to face the cameras. Suddenly everyone turned away from her. She noticed her father had arrived with his girlfriend. Kara was about to join Mike, when she heard Maxwell call her name.

Maxwell was by her side, posing for the cameras. "Big smile, munchkin. Big smile."

Kara smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes since Keelan had just joined them. Kara left her father's side in a hurry to see Mike nearby. She didn't know why she rushed to his side and buried her face against his neck. But it was if Mike had realized she was upset. He held her in his arms, unknown to the fact that some photographer had seen Kara run to him and was taking their pictures.

They were in for a big surprise!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fake boyfriend girlfriend act is in full force!!! How are you guys liking this story?
> 
> _________________________________________________________________________
> 
> Kudos = Potstickers  
> Comments = Club Soda
> 
> Leave me some if you liked what you read! :)
> 
> If you like the story, don’t forget to Subscribe and Bookmark it, you’ll get a notification whenever there’s a new chapter.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Teagan took Kara's hand in hers and gave it a light squeeze. Just then Maxwell's name was called and he went to talk to the interviewer. Keelan trotted towards them and took Kara's hand in hers.
> 
> "Kera, I'm so happy you came to the premiere! Maxy thought you wouldn't show up. He was really, really upset earlier, you know."
> 
> "Excuse me?" Kara narrowed her eyes at the woman and pulled her hand out of her grasp. "First of all, my name is Kara. And second, whatever happens between my father and I, it's our personal business. If he's upset with me, let him tell that to my face. And third, I'm not a fan of plastics, so don't even try!"
> 
> "Humph!" Keelan huffed and walked away without another word.
> 
> "Did she jus—how dare she?!" Mike grabbed Kara's arm before she stalked after Keelan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Red carpet debut as a couple, Maxwell's bimbo girlfriend, Mike's possible GF(?) and her bodyguard's hot presence... What all is poor Kara supposed to face?

The guests were still arriving and some were getting their pictures taken. They had to wait a little while longer before going into the theater.

Teagan joined Kara and Mike quickly. She had noticed Kara running into Mike's arm and she wanted to know if Kara was alright.

"Kara, are you okay?" Teagan asked in concern. "You seem to be upset, sweetie."

"Oh, it's nothing. I just got overwhelmed by the paps. I'm fine now."

"If there's anything, anything at all, you will tell me, right?"

Kara nodded. "Of course! I promise I'm alright, Tea."

Teagan took Kara's hand in hers and gave it a light squeeze. Just then Maxwell's name was called and he went to talk to the interviewer. Keelan trotted towards them and took Kara's hand in hers.

"Kera, I'm so happy you came to the premiere! Maxy thought you wouldn't show up. He was really, really upset earlier, you know."

"Excuse me?" Kara narrowed her eyes at the woman and pulled her hand out of her grasp. "First of all, my name is Kara. And second, whatever happens between my father and I, it's our personal business. If he's upset with me, let him tell that to my face. And third, I'm not a fan of plastics, so don't even try!"

"Humph!" Keelan huffed and walked away without another word.

"Did she jus—how dare she?!" Mike grabbed Kara's arm before she stalked after Keelan.

"Let it go, Kid. She's immature and seeking attention. Don't let her ruin your night." Mike moved closer, but suddenly something or  _someone_  caught his eye and he moved away immediately. "Teagan, can you keep an eye on Kara? There's someone I need to speak to."

"Sure!" Teagan said as Mike left Kara's side in a hurry.

Kara didn't know why Mike left. There was no way he would recognize someone here.  _What if he had gone after Keelan?_

But as she stood there wondering, she was surprised to see him greeting a tall, stunning brunette. She had never seen this woman before. She could easily be an actress or a model, but Kara couldn't place her.

She wore a red velvet Prada dress, complete with a plunging neckline and crystal-embellished straps. Kara had seen it in a magazine just few days ago. This woman  _had_  to be someone famous!

Unknown to Kara, Mike was actually greeting family.

"Di!" Mike called, jogging towards her.

The woman turned around looking surprised. But her face lit up the moment she saw Mike. "Mike! What a surprise!"

Mike moved closer for a quick hug. When he pulled away, he looked at her, head to toe and said, "Damn! You have stolen the show, huh? You look gorgeous, Diana!"

"Well, you don't look so bad yourself." Diana smiled pleasantly. "What brings you here? It can't be work."

"Actually, it is." Mike turned around and looked at Kara, who stood looking at him keenly. "You see that kid? I've been tasked to protect her."

"Which kid? I don't see any children here." Diana looked around.

"No, Di. Look there. The one standing near that lamppost. Black and white ensemble… The cute one!"

"Wait… that's Kara. Maxwell's daughter! Why are you protecting her?"

"You know Maxwell?"

Diana nodded. "He tried to woo me a few years ago… Don't share this with anyone but I'm his therapist, too." Diana whispered the last part. "He talks about Kara all the time, that's how I know her."

"Well, she's a handful… like her father. But a good kid. It would be a pity if something happened to her, that's why I signed up for this." Mike then touched Diana's elbow. "How's Con? I can't believe I'm in town and I can't see him."

"Conner is great! We had some issues last night. He was teething, so he had a fever. And you know how Kal is, right? He panics over even the smallest things. I called Ma and asked her what to do. She told me to give Conner a nice, warm bath. And it worked!"

"Ha! Bro's always been like that! Anyway, I need to run. Can't leave the kid alone too long. She might burn the place down." Mike winked at her. Diana kissed his cheeks and told him to call her. But just as he was about to leave, she grabbed his arm. "Wait, how are you, 1-10?"

"A solid eight. I'm actually excited to see this movie. But it's Winn's favorite. At least I get to brag about watching it first! At the world premiere!" Mike grinned widely as he kissed Diana's cheek once and hurried back to Kara's side.

Kara didn't seem pleased for some reason. But she didn't ask Mike whom he was meeting. The theater opened and the organizers asked them to go in. Kara was seated a row below her father, but Mike was next to her. Obviously Keelan would be sitting next to Maxwell. She tried to ignore that woman, who was stuck to her father like an unwanted chewing gun.

The movie started quickly and all voices died down.

* * *

 

Around the 30-minutes mark, Kara grabbed onto Mike's arm. When he looked at her and asked her if she was okay, she leaned closer and said, "I need to go to the restroom."

Mike didn't even get a chance to reply, Kara had left the theater. He let out a loud sigh and followed her out. She must have been in a hurry, because she was walking very fast. But before Mike could catch up with her, he saw a man following Kara. And he followed her all the way to the restroom.

Mike ran past the man and grabbed Kara's arm. He pinned her to the wall and crashed his lips against her. Kara froze in his arms. Mike angled his head so as to keep an eye on the man who had been following Kara, but the man looked uncomfortable as he avoided eye contact and walked into the men's restroom. Mike let go off Kara and moved away.

"Sorry. I thought a guy was following you. Just wanted to make sur—" Mike stopped short when he noticed Kara was red. She pushed him and ran into the restroom.

"Mike?" a voice came from behind him. He turned around to see it was Diana. She was tugging on her coat as she walked towards him. "What happened? Why did Kara run away?"

"She had to pee," Mike said stupidly.

Diana rolled her eyes at him. "The girl looked like she was about to cry. What did you do to her? Let me go check."

Mike leaned against the wall and waited for them to return. Diana stepped out first, talking on the phone. "Have you tried giving him the teether? Please do, honey. I'll be there soon. Love you, too."

"Everything okay?" Mike asked in a hurry.

"Yeah. Con is teething again and throwing a fit. I'm going to leave now. I'll leave Maxwell a message once I reach home." Diana came close to hug Mike. "Kara's okay. Just a bit upset. Don't kiss a woman so coolly, okay?"

Mike looked guilty. He was only doing it for Kara's own good, but he gave Diana a small nod. As she walked away, Kara stepped out. She didn't speak to Mike; she just hurried back to the theater.

To say Kara avoided Mike all evening would be an understatement. She didn't want to go to the after party. She lied about having a headache and Maxwell wanted Mike to take her back to the hotel. Even on the ride back to the hotel, she kept to herself, checking her phone.

Her pictures with Mike had made their way to Twitter and a lot of people were reacting to them.

When the car stopped, she got out and headed straight to the suite. Mike ran after her. "Kara, wait! I need to talk to you."

Just as he entered the suite and locked the door behind him, he heard Kara ask, "Do you kiss all women so casually, Mike? Like you are greeting them? Do you like doing that?!"

"What?"

"That was my first kiss, you jerk!" Kara began to sob. "I can't believe you would do that!"

"Oh shit!" Mike made his way towards her, but she kept stepping away till her back hit the wall. "Kara, let me explain, please. There was a man following you. You ran out without waiting for me. What did you expect me to do? Sit back and enjoy the movie? And this man followed you all the way to the restroom! What if he—" Mike's voice got caught in his throat. "Look, I only kissed you because PDA makes people uncomfortable. If the man was indeed following you, then he would keep his eyes on you all the time. But when I kissed you, he looked away and went to the restroom… I'm really sorry!"

Kara remained quiet. Mike sounded genuine. Even if they were pretending to be a couple, he would never kiss her against her will. "You really did that to only see if that man was following me?"

"I swear!"

Kara gave him a small nod and walked towards her room. "I'm going to change."

Mike ran a hand through his hair.  _What had he done? He had clearly violated her! She was just a kid!_

Mike took off his tie and the jacket and threw it on the couch. He untucked his shirt and removed the first two buttons. Just as he was about to go grab himself something to drink, he heard the door to Kara's room open again. His jaw dropped when she stepped out wearing a plain blue t-shirt and panties.

"Kara, did you forget your pants?"

"No, stupid. I don't need them right now."

As she made her way towards him, his eyes widened. "What is it? Look, I'm really sorry. Don't be mad at me."

"Wasn't your girlfriend jealous? She was there, you know? She came after me when I went to the restroom. She asked me if I was okay."

"Who?  _Diana?_ " Mike shook his head. "Diana is… she's my sister-in-law!"

"Wait, your sister-in-law is an actress? Or a model?"

"Neither. She's not in the film industry. But she's… well, she's a very famous psychiatrist. Most of her patients are celebrities."

Kara frowned lightly. "My dad's shrink is a woman. He's been seeing her for a couple of years. Could that be her? He says he needs a shrink to survive in this industry."

"It's not my place to either confirm or deny it. A psychiatrist and a patient have a strict, confidentiality contract. It can't be violated by either party."

"I'll take that as a yes. I mean, she's so pretty! No wonder my dad feels at ease talking to her."

"Umm… can you put on your pants, Kid?"

Kara smirked at Mike. "Why, Gramps? Do you find me that irresistible?"

"Seriously, Kara. I'm a male in my mid-twenties with a healthy sexual appetite. And you are in fewer clothes… so yeah, it's tempting. So please, go put on your damn pants!"

Kara shook her head and moved closer. "You said you would help me. Teach me… Will you?" She tiptoed so her lips brushed against his. "You've already taken my first kiss. You might as well do it properly this time and make me feel good."

"You don't  _know_  what you're asking for," Mike whispered against her lips.

"I'm an adult, Mike. I know perfectly well what I want… So, will you kiss me?"

"Stupid brat!" Mike grabbed her by her waist and pinned her against the wall again. He covered her lips with his, moaning as she responded eagerly. Mike's hold on Kara tightened as he deepened the kiss. When he bit her lower lip, she let out a surprised gasp. Mike smiled against her lips as he slid his tongue into her mouth.

Kara threw her arms around his neck. Her fingers fisted his hair as she moaned against his lips.  _What was the man doing to her?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOTNESS OMG! Get better next chapter, I promise!
> 
> _________________________________________________________________________
> 
> Kudos = Potstickers  
> Comments = Club Soda
> 
> Leave me some if you liked what you read! :)
> 
> If you like the story, don’t forget to Subscribe and Bookmark it, you’ll get a notification whenever there’s a new chapter.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are heating up between Kara and her hot boyfr—oops! Bodyguard!
> 
>  
> 
> Hotness alert!

When Mike broke the kiss, he started peppering Kara's neck with soft kisses. "If we are doing this, then there's no going back. Are you sure you want this?"

"Yes. I want you to teach me everything."

"Dammit, brat! Since when did you become a temptress?" Mike lowered her on the couch. He sat down next to her.

Kara sat with her back against the arm of the couch. Mike's hand was on her knee. "Bend your knees," he said, softly. She did as he told her. When she felt his finger brush against her inner thigh, Kara jumped. "We'll take it slow, I promise. But first, lesson number 1."

**Lesson #1 - Don't talk to him**

"Don't talk to him?" Kara looked at Mike weirdly. "Are we trying to make the guy hate me or something?"

"No, stupid! Men don't like girls who are easy to approach. Let's say Noah texts you, you don't answer his message. It's simple. First he will think you are busy. Then he will wonder if you are ignoring him. Then he will  _try_  to get you talking to him. But that's lesson #2. So don't talk to this guy."

"If this drives Noah away from me, then I'll kill you, Gramps!"

"Hey! Don't call me Gramps when I'm going to finger you! And I'm just twenty-seven!"

"What?" Kara blushed furiously.

"Shut up! You wanted me to do this!" Mike's pushed her panties to the side and thumbed her sex. He moved closer, his breath now fanning her neck. "I'm going to take this off, okay?"

When Kara nodded, he helped her take off her panties. "Bend you knees more," Mike said as he started touching her again. "Wow! You are really wet, huh? I barely touched you. Naughty girl!"

Kara covered her mouth, trying her hardest to hide a moan. Mike touched her clit and she jumped a little. She felt Mike push a finger into her. She reached out to grab his shoulder.

Mike smirked when he heard her moan loudly. "Good girl! Let your voice out." He slipped in another finger, all the while thumbing her clit.

"Ahhh! Mike, I can't!" Kara panted as his fingers moved in and out of her, making her wetter. He didn't stop. His fingers kept moving steadily, making wet noises. Mike reached out to cup her breast. She wore a lacy bra inside her t-shirt. But as he rubbed her breast, he felt her nipple harden under his touch. He wanted to take off the whole thing, but they  _were_  taking it slow.

"I'm gon—I'm gonna come, Mike! Stop!"

Mike kissed under her earlobe. "Come for me, baby."

Kara came with a loud moan. She panted and fell back against the arm of the couch. Mike removed his fingers and as she watched, he started licking them. She blushed furiously and turned away. And when Mike pulled her closer to kiss her, she swore she tasted something salty on his tongue.

Kara rested her head against his shoulder when she broke this kiss. "I can't move," she whispered.

"I'll carry you to your room." Mike stood up and took her in his arms.

When he laid her on her bed, she reached out and grabbed his hand before he could leave. "You won't stop here, will you?"

"Oh, I'm sure I can make you come more than once, but you need to rest. We leave in the morning. Sleep tight, brat!"

"Are you still going to call me that? After what you did to me?!"

Mike smirked at her. "You'll always be my brat! Now go to sleep."

"Good night, Mike," Kara said, covering half her face with the sheet, hiding her blush.

"Night, Kara."

Kara woke up the next morning to the sound of her phone buzzing. She rubbed her eyes and sat up with the phone in her hand. Her eyes widened when she saw it was a message from Noah.

Just as she was about to open it, another message popped up.

 

> **Mike**   **Matthews**  now
> 
> Brat!
> 
> _slide to reply_
> 
>  

Kara opened his message and typed furiously.  _What is it, Gramps? Have you signed up to be my alarm now?!_

A loud bang on the door made Kara jump. It opened and Mike marched in. "Are you stupid or what?"

"I can't believe you woke me up so early to insult me, you jerk!"

"Well, boohoo, Princess! Stay here and miss the damn flight then!"

Kara checked the time on her phone. The car was going to arrive in less than fifteen minutes. "Ahhh! Why didn't you wake me up? Stupid Gramps!" Kara pushed Mike aside and ran to the restroom.

She got ready quickly and packed whatever she had missed earlier. Mike was acting like his normal self, showing no inclination of having touched her intimately just the night before. He kept a safe distance, carrying their bags downstairs.

Once they got in the car, Mike said, "Seriously? Who keeps their read receipts on? Are you 10?"

"What's your problem, Mike?"

"My problem is that you are gonna screw up the whole thing with No boy—"

"It's Noah—"

"And then come crying to me! I know you got a message from him. Check your Twitter, we broke the Internet. No boy is probably waiting for you to tell him I was only a date, not your  _boyfriend_. So if you want to read the whole text, turn off your read receipts and then read it. But don't forget our #1 lesson. Don't reply to him!"

Kara didn't know why she even bothered listening to Mike. But she did as she promptly turned off her read receipts and opened Noah's message.

  

> _Hey Kara! How're you doing? Miss Sharma sent out a message earlier. I figured you didn't get to it since you didn't reply at the GC. We have practice the day after tomorrow. And costume test the next day. I know you must be busy with your dad's new film premiere, so I don't expect a reply. But I will let Miss Sharma know you got her message. Have fun! I'll see you soon._

 

Mike pulled the phone from Kara and read the message. "Is he gay?" he blurted out.

"What? No! At least not that I know of." Kara scratched her head.  _Had she missed something obvious?_

"Then why the fuck didn't he talk about how you looked last night? Or ask about us?"

Kara shrugged. "Maybe he doesn't wanna sound too forward." She took her phone back and began to check her Twitter.

  

> **CatCo**  @CatCoMagazine 6h
> 
> Exclusive: Our very own Kara Danvers took the Internet by storm after she made the red carpet debut with her boyfriend, Mike Matthews. Kara attended the world premiere of #MissionPossible3. Check out the full article and the pictures here. CatCoMagazine.com/article/…

 

Kara immediately clicked the link to see the article. She was surprised by all the pictures that were taken. But the one that caught her eye was the one of her and Mike standing in the corner, embracing.

 

> Kara Danvers and Mike Matthews walk the red carpet together at the World Premiere of Mission Possible III starring Maxwell Lord-Danvers and Valerie Davey on Saturday in Metropolis City.
> 
> The 19-year-old and her boyfriend made their public debut as a couple at the event!
> 
> The hashtag #MysteriousMike began trending when Maxwell Lord-Danvers posted a picture taken with Matthews on their way to the premiere. His Instagram caption caught people's attention.
> 
> _'On my way to #MissionPossible3 premiere with my darling daughter and her boyfriend, Mike. Did someone say #MikePossible? Lol! #FutureSonInLaw #Maybe (winking face emoji)'_
> 
> _Source: Maxwell Lord-Danvers on Instagram_
> 
> 15+ pictures inside of Kara Danvers and Mike Matthews at the event…
> 
>  

Kara blushed furiously seeing the pictures. Mike had moved closer, reading the article as well. "Hey! I look good in that pic," he commented nonchalantly. Kara mock-punched his shoulder. "Ow! What is wrong with you, brat? Why are you punching me?"

"You're having a great time, aren't you? You love this attention."

"Nah! It's just cool to see myself dressed up… and not for a wedding."

Kara shook her head and scrolled through the tweets.

 

> **Kate**  @MsKatherineSmith 5h
> 
> Replying to @CatCoMagazine
> 
> That's a beautiful dress Kara's wearing! She goes to my college. Never seen her dress up like this before.
> 
>  
> 
> **Sarah**  @SarahfulBarnes 5h
> 
> Replying to @MsKatherineSmith
> 
> An expensive dress doesn't make her any beautiful! Mike is better off with someone else.
> 
>  
> 
> **Leanne**  @LordDanversFanatic 5h
> 
> Replying to @SarahfulBarnes
> 
> honestly fuck off. don't come here hating on an innocent girl. you are nothing but a bully!
> 
>  
> 
> **Kate**  @MsKatherineSmith 5h
> 
> Replying to @SarahfulBarnes
> 
> Actually, Kara is a very caring person. I can't say we are friends, but she never misses an opportunity to volunteer whenever needed. You are just spiteful because you will never be Kara. Don't waste your time hating on people. Do something productive.
> 
>  
> 
> **Steven Gregory**  @itssteve 4h
> 
> Replying to @SarahfulBarnes
> 
> I'm a barista at the café near Rutherford. Kara is a regular here and I would tell you what she orders but I don't want you to stalk her. You already seem to hate her without any good reason. She's one of the kindest people I've ever met so how about you shut your cakehole?
> 
>  
> 
> **Barry Allen**  @imbarryfast 2h
> 
> Just came back from watching #MissionPossible3. Got to attend a special screening. I went to school with Maxwell Lord-Danvers' kid. Haven't seen her in ages since I moved away, but all I can say is… Damn! Kara Danvers, were you always this cute? Does someone know her twitter handle?
> 
>  

"You have an admirer," Mike stated, not looking pleased at all.

"Barry Allen? I'm not able to place him…" Kara checked Barry's profile. There was a picture, but she wasn't able to recognize him. But then it struck her. "Wait, it's that kid who ran super fast! But he was in my kindergarten!"

"And he expects you to remember him?" Mike cringed.

"Hey! He seems like a nice guy."

"Whatever, Kid."

"Why are you suddenly so grumpy?" When Kara didn't get a reply, she went back to reading the tweets.

  

> **Miss Vogue US**  @MissVogueUS 4h
> 
> Inside the stunning floral embroidered tulle skirt Kara Danvers wore at the world premiere of #MissionPossible3. Check out our list of 5 affordable versions of Kara Danvers' dress. MissVogueUS.com/2018/10/Kara-Danvers-World-Premiere/…
> 
>  
> 
> **CHASE @** CHACEMag 3h
> 
> #MysteriousMike won our hearts at the world premiere of #MissionPossible3 by comforting Kara Danvers as she felt anxious after their red carpet debut. Don't we all wish we had a boyfriend like Mike? Check out their pictures here - bit.ly/MBW30hy
> 
>  
> 
> **Leanne**  @LordDanversFanatic 1h
> 
> TeaganLee, is Mike an actor as well? #MysteriousMike
> 
>  
> 
> **Noah**  @noahdelaneywrites 10m
> 
> Media sure knows how to blow a story out of proportion. A simple hug is such a big deal these days smh.
> 
>  
> 
>  

"Mike, look!" Kara grabbed his arm and tugged on it. "Noah tweeted!"

Mike took her phone and read the tweet. He smirked before saying, "Well, someone seems super jealous. Looks like he does have an interest in you, brat!"

"But Noah has never tweeted anything like this before. It's just strange."

"Has he ever seen you with another guy before? No, right? So that's why he reacted now."

Kara smiled to herself. Noah cared and even if he was jealous now, she knew it would all work out later. As she reread that tweet, she completely missed Mike sitting with his head against the window. With his fingers clenched in a fist. He ignored Kara after that, watching the city of Metropolis pass by.

When they finally reached the airport, Mike didn't want to check-in immediately. He had been texting someone quietly. Suddenly, he said, "Kara, why don't you take a seat? There's someone I'm meeting in a few minutes. It won't take long. Just don't wander off anywhere, please."

Kara gave him a small nod. She sat down with their bags next to her. Her eyes followed Mike. He was heading towards the entrance. Just then, a tall man with one of the kindest smiles walked towards Mike. What surprised Kara was the baby he wore in a wrap against his chest. She smiled when she noticed how adorable he looked.

"Con Con!" Mike cooed as he kissed the baby's chubby fist. He then gave the man a quick hug, being very careful of the baby in between them. "Thanks for coming, bro. Thought I wasn't going to see you anytime soon."

Kara's smile dropped. This was Mike's brother? And he hadn't even bothered introducing her to him? Well, she was just his  _fake_  girlfriend. Mike didn't care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That got hot pretty quick! Whew! Do you think this relationship could go anywhere?
> 
> _________________________________________________________________________
> 
> Kudos = Potstickers  
> Comments = Club Soda
> 
> Leave me some if you liked what you read! :)
> 
> If you like the story, don’t forget to Subscribe and Bookmark it, you’ll get a notification whenever there’s a new chapter.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, my parents can't stand each other," Kara said, turning around to face Mike. "They try to act as civil as possible, but they argue a lot… That is why I spend time with them individually. This way I can dedicate my time to both of them."
> 
> "And you are just 19." Mike let out a sigh. He caressed her cheek a little. "Hey… you know you look beautiful… with the weight of all these worlds on your shoulders."
> 
> Kara shook her head. "You don't have to make me feel better."
> 
> Mike didn't reply, instead he closed the distance by lowering his lips over hers.

Kara wanted to look away. It felt like she was intruding. But Mike and his brother moved away a little and she wasn't able to hear what they were saying. Kara didn't know why she felt disappointed. Mike could easily have introduced her as a friend. Maybe they weren't even that.

For some reason, she did turn and look at them. Mike was holding the baby's hand and the little guy was gurgling and blowing raspberries. Suddenly, Mike turned to face her.

His brother also looked at her. He gave her a kind smile and waved at her. Kara couldn't help but smile and wave back.

Mike grinned and turned around, still holding the baby's hands in his. He was now saying goodbye. He kissed the baby on his head and pinched his chubby cheek lightly. He then hugged his brother.

Mike's brother handed him a small paper bag. Kara couldn't help but look when she saw Mike grin widely as he thanked his brother and say goodbye to him. Waving goodbye, Mike made his way towards her.

Kara stood up and took her bags. "Hey! Ready to go?"

"Yeah! Sorry to make you wait. My brother insisted on coming to the airport, and I really wanted to see my nephew again."

"What's his name? He's adorable!" Kara smiled, remembering the baby's cute little smile.

"Conner." Mike smiled back as they headed towards the check-in counter.

Once they had checked-in and were seated, waiting for boarding, Mike pulled out the paper bag his brother had given him. Inside was a small Tupperware container and there were two tarts.

"Clark knew we wouldn't have had time for breakfast. He bakes when he's stressed. And he was a bit stressed because Con was teething earlier, so he made his famous strawberry tarts for us."

Kara looked at the strawberry tart Mike handed over to her with a tissue paper. "Mike, thanks, but you should have it. Your brother made these for you."

"Hey! Come on. There are two big pieces. And Clark did know you were with me… You should eat it before I change my mind. Clark's food is to die for."

Kara accepted the tart gratefully. The moment she took a bite, she let out a moan. Her face reddened when she noticed Mike looking at her keenly. "I'm sorry! This is  _so_  delicious! Did your brother go to pastry school?"

"Nah! He's just good at it. He's actually a journalist!"

"In Metropolis? Where?"

"The Daily Planet."

"My mom worked there!" Kara grinned widely. "She started her career at DP. She used to be a gossip columnist there. That's why CatCo has a magazine of its own."

"You live with your mother, don't you?"

Kara nodded. "Yeah. Because Dad travels a lot and Mom wanted me to have a stable education. That's why I mostly spent time with him during my holidays."

"Like Thanksgiving and Christmas?"

"Umm… no. Just summer and winter vacation. We have never celebrated Thanksgiving. Mom says that it needs family and friends… and we don't have that."

"What do you mean? Doesn't your father visit you during Thanksgiving and spend the day with you guys?" Mike sounded confused. Thanksgiving was a big deal back home.

They got the boarding call just then. Mike and Kara got up and headed towards the gate.

"Honestly, my parents can't stand each other," Kara said, turning around to face Mike. "They try to act as civil as possible, but they argue a lot… That is why I spend time with them individually. This way I can dedicate my time to both of them."

"And you are just 19." Mike let out a sigh. He caressed her cheek a little. "Hey… you know you look beautiful… with the weight of all these worlds on your shoulders."

Kara shook her head. "You don't have to make me feel better."

Mike didn't reply, instead he closed the distance by lowering his lips over hers and capturing them in a soft kiss. His thumb kept brushing her cheek as kissed him back. But Mike pulled away too soon. He nodded, looking a bit lost. "Yeah… absolutely beautiful."

Little did Mike and Kara know that someone was watching them. If that person had approached them in any way or made Mike suspicious, they would get into a lot of trouble. But this young women was a fangirl, who was obviously letting the whole world know what was she had seen.

 

 

> **BRAY**  @BrayleeOsborne 15m
> 
> OMG GUYS! #MYSTERIOUSMIKE IS STANDING RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!
> 
>  
> 
> **BRAY**  @BrayleeOsborne 15m
> 
> He's with Kara ofc. They are also flying to LA! I mean he's literally in front of me! Kara has checked in but Mike keeps showing a lot of papers. #MysteriousMike #BestDayEver #WannaMarryHim
> 
>  
> 
> **BRAY**  @BrayleeOsborne 10m
> 
> Just finished security. Mike and Kara are now seated near the gate. They are eating something. Looks something sweet! #IWant #MysteriousMike
> 
>  
> 
> **Casey**  @MrsMikeMatthews 9m
> 
> Replying to @BrayleeOsborne
> 
> Is he standing with Kara? Please take a picture! I want to see him so bad! #MyLove #MysteriousMike
> 
>  
> 
> **BRAY**  @BrayleeOsborne 9m
> 
> Replying to @MrsMikeMatthews
> 
> No, he's sitting in front of me. They look cute together. I could take a pic but my mom is right next to me and she'll yell at me.
> 
>  
> 
> **BRAY**  @BrayleeOsborne 7m
> 
> Boarding now. They were walking towards the gate but just stopped. OMG WHATISAHPEWADBQWBHBSB
> 
>  
> 
> **Casey**  @MrsMikeMatthews 6m
> 
> Replying to @BrayleeOsborne
> 
> WHAT HAPPENED? IS MIKE OKAY?
> 
>  
> 
> **BRAY**  @BrayleeOsborne 5m
> 
> Replying to @MrsMikeMatthews
> 
> Yeah, he's okay. They were kissing! He just bent down and kissed her. It looked like a scene right out of a movie! OMG THEY ARE SO IN LOVE! #MysteriousMike #myheart #theylookcutetogether
> 
>  
> 
> **BRAY**  @BrayleeOsborne 5m
> 
> You guys, I'm not lying. Mike and Kara are on my flight. They are heading towards the gate now. I'm stuck in a fuckin line! They are in first class! #MysteriousMike
> 
>  
> 
> **BRAY**  @BrayleeOsborne 4m
> 
> Gotta board now. Managed to sneak a pic. It's blurry tho. #MysteriousMike pic.twitter.com/BCU03na

 

Kara had been blushing as they boarded. For a brief moment, Mike seemed confused. He had forgotten they were in First Class so they got to board first. Then he heard something and turned around sharply. He frowned, but Kara grabbed his arm and dragged him along.

"What is it?" she asked as they stepped into the flight.

"Some kid was taking a picture of us." Mike seemed a bit pissed.

"Did you forget we are in First Class? You were going to stand in the line with others?"

Mike stowed their baggage overhead and nodded. "I'm used to flying coach. Never been on First or even Business class." He smiled when he saw her frown. Mike leaned closer and patted her temple with a finger. "Crinkle."

"I'm not crinkling!" Kara pushed his hand away and took the window seat. He had never flown in First Class and she had never flown in coach. That alone showed just how their worlds were apart.

"Did you fly commercial often? When you weren't flying your own plane?" she asked once he was seated.

Mike shrugged. "Not much. Growing up, it was mostly trains or cars for us. My parental grandparents lived in the same state, so we always took a train to their place. Maternal grandparents weren't that close. But my parents did take us on a trip to Hawaii when I was twelve!"

"Was it fun?"

"Lots of fun! Clark, Winn and I spent almost all the day on the beach or swimming or snorkeling. It was a sort of late honeymoon for Ma and Pa." Mike chuckled at that. "They never got to go on one because Ma was pregnant with Clark and they got busy after that. So Pa had planned a nice vacation. His sister was supposed to take care of us. But I wasn't really comfortable at her place or anyone's as a matter of fact. So Pa decided he would take all three of us along. It became a family vacation."

"A family vacation sounds so good." Kara let out a small sigh. Just then a stewardess came to their seats and introduced herself and asked them what they wanted to drink. Once she left, Kara asked, "What about when you grew up? Were you posted to a lot of places?"

"Well, the academy was in Colorado. So I was there for a couple of years. Then they posted me in North. Barely got to go home. After that they sent me to Yokota Air Base near Tachikawa. All the way to Japan!"

"Wow! A different country altogether!"

"It was good. It was challenging, too. And I was there for two years. The only advantage was the pay. I started earning more and saving as well."

"But you were far away from home," Kara muttered.

"I was. But one day, Clark called me and said he felt bad that Ma and Pa couldn't go on their honeymoon because of him. And he wanted to gift them a vacation and wanted some ideas. He had talked to Winn about this as well. So the three of us talked and we decided to share the expenses. And Winn and Clark hadn't told me this, but since it had been over two years since I had seen Ma and Pa, they decided that it would be great to gift them a trip to Japan."

Kara's eyes widened at that and she gave him a bright smile. "I bet your parents loved the gift!"

"Well, Ma cried and scolded us for spending money on them. But Pa was happy… I managed to get a week off since I was saving my holidays and doing overtime. They came straight to Tokyo and then I took them to Tachikawa. I stayed with them in the same room! It was so awkward… but whatever. Then we went back to Tokyo, then we set out to see Mount Fuji, took a train to Nagoya. And then to Okayama, then to Osaka and back to Tokyo. I was mostly behind the camera and they were being so tourist-y. It was a memorable trip though."

"Were you posted back home after that?"

"I was there for little over three months." Mike had a sad smile on his face. "I went to Japan as a Lieutenant Colonel, and I came back as a Major… I didn't know I would never be a Captain. My accident happened a few months after I was posted back home. They labeled me unfit to fly. Told me that once I made complete recovery, I could give a test and see if I was fit again… It's all over now."

For a man so passionate about flying and to be grounded for life… Kara knew Mike was hurting badly. There was pain in his eyes. Pain he hid with his sarcasm and inappropriate humor.

"I always wished to have a normal family," Kara said, softly. "I wanted to go on vacation with my parents. And do what other kids did with their parents… But Mom and Dad just can't stand each other."

"Couldn't they even pretend?"

"I guess they tried. When I was little, they tried to act if they could tolerate each other. But it's just how they argue… They could argue about a pencil, if they were given a chance. When I was old enough to understand that these two were better off far away from each other, I decided to not ask them to spend their time together with me."

"Honestly, parents bring stability to life." Mike closed his eyes and sighed. "I mean, look at Clark. He fusses over small things. Sometimes I feel he just worries too much. But one day Ma told me that all parents are the same. They tend to worry about their kids because they love them… I know your folks don't like spending time with each other, but they love you enough to make time for you, right? That's all that matters. Whether they do it together, like my parents, or if they do it separately, like yours, it's still the same."

"You're right. They do have an odd way to show me they care, but they do it nonetheless."

"Did you travel a lot with your folks?"

Kara nodded. "Oh yeah! I got to see so many places with Dad. Mom usually likes travelling to Europe. At first I thought she liked the scenery and architecture, but then it turned out that it's just the wine and the men."

Mike burst out laughing. "Well, better than nothing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe these two are bonding! Bunnies! *cries in Daxamite*
> 
>  
> 
> _________________________________________________________________________
> 
> Kudos = Potstickers  
> Comments = Club Soda
> 
> Leave me some if you liked what you read! :)
> 
> If you like the story, don’t forget to Subscribe and Bookmark it, you’ll get a notification whenever there’s a new chapter.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You okay, Kid?" Mike asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.
> 
> Kara looked at him in surprise and then she nodded. She took his glass of water and took a long sip.
> 
> "Bad dream?" Mike asked, getting back to his food.
> 
> Kara shook her head. "More like a recurring dream that makes no sense."

Kara yawned lightly, as Mike checked the inflight entertainment. He turned to face her and said, "Take a nap. We still have a long way to go."

Kara gave him a small nod. "You should sleep as well, Mike. We barely had any time to sleep last night." When she saw him stare at her incredulously, she asked, "What is it? Do I have something on my face?"

Mike shook his head. "Kara, I'm on duty now. The only reason I took liberty earlier was because it was your father's private jet… You should sleep now. I'll wake you up before lunch."

"Okay," Kara muttered as she adjusted her seat so it became a bed. Grabbing her sleep mask from her bag, she put it on and lay down.

Mike waited till he heard those little snores. He then paid for the inflight Wi-Fi and opened up his secure messenger.

 

 

> **MK**
> 
> The Sparrow is resting. Can talk.
> 
> **Winn**
> 
> I can't believe you got to see Mission Possible 3 at a freaking premiere!
> 
> **MK**
> 
> Work, Winn! I'm here to talk about work. Did we get a background check on the man I mentioned earlier?
> 
> **Winn**
> 
> Positive ID. No criminal record. Just a civilian.
> 
> **MK**
> 
> Anything else to report?
> 
> **Winn**
> 
> The Eagle flew out of National City yesterday. Might be flying towards LA. Don't be surprised if she shows up. Keep the Sparrow safe till we figure out who's behind them.
> 
> **MK**
> 
> Will do! Btw, I watched Mission Possible at a fuckin premiere and loved it! SUCK IT!
> 
> **Winn**
> 
> Jerk.
> 
> **MK**
> 
> Bitch.
> 
> **Winn**
> 
> We aren't the Winchester brothers. And if we were, shouldn't I be Dean?
> 
> **MK**
> 
> You might be older but that doesn't make you Dean fuckin Winchester!
> 
> **Winn**
> 
> Whatever, Ma loves me more.
> 
> **MK**
> 
> Wanna bet?
> 
> **Chief**
> 
> Getting you two a secured network to talk was a big mistake. Michael, sign off right now. Winslow, get back to work. And stop eating those stupid red vines!
> 
> **Winn**
> 
> Sorry, Chief!
> 
> **MK**
> 
> Sowwy, boss. Love ya! Miss ya! Muah!
> 
> **Chief**
> 
> Do you want to get fired, Michael?
> 
> **MK**
> 
> Nopesie! Byeee.
> 
>  

Mike signed off and closed the Wi-Fi. He decided to watch a movie since there was no way he was taking a nap. The inflight entertainment had a bunch of new movies, but Mike chose  _Solo_.

'Star Wars or nothing', he muttered to himself. Those were Clark's words when they were younger and having a movie night. Han Solo had become Mike's favorite, but thanks to these new movies, he liked Rey better.

Mike watched the entire movie without any distraction. He noticed that he had time to watch half of another Star Wars flick.

He had just reached the point where Rey and Kylo Ren have their first forcetiming session when the stewardess came to talk to him. She told him that they were ready to serve lunch. Mike wanted to wake Kara up, but she was sleeping so peacefully that he decided against it. Her sleeping mask had also slipped from her eyes.

"I'll have my lunch now. Thank you." He gave the stewardess a pleasant smile. She told him that she would return soon and left.

Lunch was Chicken Pot Pie—something Mike knew Kara would enjoy—Smoked Island Fish Dip with toasted baguette and Caramel Sea Salt tart.

The wine list looked good but he chose to take Soda since his boss got mad at them for drinking on job.

He had just taken a bite of the pot pie when Kara woke up with a gasp.

"Mon-El!" she called, her eyes wide, searching for someone.

"You okay, Kid?" Mike asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Kara looked at him in surprise and then she nodded. She took his glass of water and took a long sip.

"Bad dream?" Mike asked, getting back to his food.

Kara shook her head. "More like a recurring dream that makes no sense."

"What did you see? Is Monel a person? Or a place?"

"A man. He's been haunting my dreams for a couple of months now."

"Yeah? Is he hot?"

Kara rolled her eyes at Mike. He was busy eating pot pie, her favorite! The stewardess arrived just as her tummy grumbled. Kara asked for the same meal Mike was having. Once it was served and she had calmed down a little, she spoke, "I've been having this dream for a while. I think I'm cosplaying. I look older and my hair is longer. I'm wearing this super tight suit and it has a freaking cape attached to it."

"So basically you see yourself as a superhero. Continue."

"Well, the guy in front of me. Mon-El. He's leaving… By the looks of it, I think I'm involved with him and we are both crying."

"Aw sad! Does he have a cool car at least?"

"No. This is where it gets weird… He's leaving in a small spaceship."

Mike looked at her weirdly before bursting out laughing. Kara then decided to shut up. There was no way anyone would believe what she has been dreaming about.

She glances at him once before turning away. She was never going to tell Mike that Mon-El looked just like him…

* * *

 

Kara was quiet for the rest of the journey. She only spoke when Mike asked her a question. He was good at reading moods so he knew when he had to back off.

When they finally reached home, Mike and Kara walked in to see Giles running around the house, James seated on the couch and Cat Grant talking to Nancy.

"No, it has gluten. How about baked salmon with lentils and lemon herb sause? I'm vegan. Did you forget that, Nancy?"

The cook gulped and shook her head. "No, Ma'am! I'll make whatever you want to eat."

"Better." Cat turned around with a hand resting over her hip. The second her eyes fell on Kara, she smiled and made her way towards her daughter.

"Mom?" Kara called in surprise.

"There she is! The star of Maxwell's stupid premiere!" Cat kissed Kara's cheeks and touched her hair. "It's a nice haircut, Keira. But longer hair suits you more."

Kara grinned and hugged her mother. "I'm so happy to see you here, Mama!"

"You did great, sweetheart. Your father and I are very proud of you." Cat kissed Kara's head before moving away. She then faced Mike and said, "I hope that hug was only for show, Bodyguard. You have no idea how much damage control I had to do."

Mike straightened his back. "My apologies, Ma'am. It will never happen again."

"Don't say that. You  _are_  pretending to be Keira's boyfriend. But don't make this a habit."

"Understood, Ma'am."

Kara giggled seeing Mike being all serious. He could have easily told her mom that he was only making her feel better. Was Mike like this during his time in Air Force? Maybe he was.

Mike went to greet James and the two men excused themselves and went to a corner to talk. Cat guided Kara towards the couch and asked Giles to get Kara and Mike something to drink. The butler ran to the kitchen, making Kara wonder what her mother had done to traumatize the man.

"Now tell me, how was that stupid movie?" Cat asked, leaning against a cushion.

Meanwhile, James and Mike stood talking about the situation in hand.

"Why are you guys here?" Mike asked, stealing a glance at the mother and daughter who sat on the couch.

"Would you believe me if I say Miss Grant is seeing someone from Hollywood who lives here in LA?"

Mike shrugged. "I guess. Her ex-husband is a big star, after all."

"Well, this dude is bigger. You are a huge fan of his character from Star Wars!" James smirked as he leaned against the wall.

Mike's eyes widened at that. "Har—No way! That is one odd couple right there! Is it serious?"

"Looks serious to me. Miss Grant was talking about introducing her daughter to him… Enough about Miss Grant. Did you enjoy the premiere?"

"It was a cool experience… Hey! The background check I requested on John Doe came out negative. He's not the guy we are looking for."

James nodded. "I know. Lord-Danvers believes it's a woman. So does Miss Grant."

"Let's hope it's not the one Boss suspects. Kara's life is really in danger if Boss is right."

Just as Mike said that, he heard a loud bang. His pulled out his gun and pointed at the door. But it was no intruder like he had suspected. It was Maxwell Lord-Danvers himself. He looked disheveled, as if he had run all the way back home.

"Dad?" Kara asked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I should be asking  _her_  that question!" Maxwell called as he gestured at Cat. "What business do you have here, Catherine? I told you I was flying to Paris. I had to ask my pilot to freaking turn the flight and head back home since you casually mentioned you were dropping by to say hi."

"Well, that is exactly what I'm doing, Maxwell." Cat stood up and crossed her arms across her chest.

Teagan walked in just then, carrying some of the bags. She smiled at Cat. "Hi there! Good to see you."

"Teagan, dear, hello!" Cat went to hug the other woman. "Tell your boss to calm down or he will have a heart attack."

"Cat, you can't just drop by whenever you want!" Maxwell marched towards her. "Especially when I'm not at home."

"If you think I'm here to see you then get that ridiculous thought out of your mind!" Cat narrowed her eyes at Maxwell. "I'm here to see my daughter and take her home."

"Kara is going nowhere with you!"

"Keira  _is_  going back home with me!"

"Kara is coming with me to Paris. End of discussion."

"Keira is going back home with me because she has college tomorrow, you absolute moron!"

"Stop being such a bitch, Cat!"

"Well, you stop being such an asshole, Max!"

A phone rang just then making both of them turn towards James sharply. The man excused himself and went to take the call.

Kara let out a loud sigh. "Mom, Dad, I'm very tired. Can you please not argue about me? I will go with Mom, but only because I have college tomorrow and I can't miss it. Dad, you should go to Paris. Don't change your schedule because of us."

"Honeybun, I jus—"

"Daddy, please! Paris premiere is important as well. You can't miss it."

Maxwell nodded. "I'll leave tonight."

"Good! Mom, we can leave in few hours, if you want. I just want to take a shower and freshen up now. I'll see you guys later." Kara took her bags and went upstairs.

Just as she left, James returned and looked at Maxwell and Cat. "Could we talk in private?"

Maxwell nodded and gestured for them to follow him. They made their way towards the kitchen and asked Nancy and Giles to leave for a while. Once the staff left, Maxwell, Cat, Teagan and James took a seat.

Mike preferred to stand. He knew it was something important if James wanted to talk to them in private.

James let out a small sigh before said, "Another letter was received at CatCo. One of our men intercepted it before it reached Miss Grant's assistant. This one is… worse than the previous ones. It's targeting Kara alone. But it says Kara is being targeted because of Mr. Lord-Danvers and Miss Grant."

"So, a common enemy?" Maxwell asked in a low voice.

James nodded. "I'm afraid so."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can't believe Kara is dreaming about Mon-El? Neither can I! XD
> 
> _________________________________________________________________________
> 
> Kudos = Potstickers  
> Comments = Club Soda
> 
> Leave me some if you liked what you read! :)
> 
> If you like the story, don’t forget to Subscribe and Bookmark it, you’ll get a notification whenever there’s a new chapter.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara was the one who woke Mike up when they were about to reach her home. He woke up with a start and rubbed his eyes. "What?"
> 
> "We are almost home, sleepyhead." Kara grinned and for some unknown reason, she ruffled his hair. Mike didn't seem to mind. He just turned and gave Kara a big smile.
> 
> But Cat Grant was having a little trouble with understanding the situation. Her daughter seemed close to this young man. Cat knew Mike was older and she was mentally questioning his intentions towards her daughter. They carefree proximity irked her.

Mike froze when he heard James say that. They had talked about it. About the person who could be after Kara and Miss Grant, but to imagine someone with such vengeance against a young, innocent girl like Kara, who had never harmed anybody in her life.

"When was the message intercepted?" Mike asked, leaning against a wall.

"Half an hour ago," James answered. "It's with the Chief now. They are getting the handwriting analyzed as we speak."

"You said it was delivered to CatCo, like the ones before it. But for the previous letters we had no idea what timeframe they were delivered in. But we know now and we can have Winn check the CCTV footage."

"Do you think whoever is doing this will risk getting caught on a camera?" Cat asked Mike.

"It's possible they are in disguise or at least using someone else. If it's a one-man job then we can rule out others being involved. It's easier to catch the person if they are doing it all alone," Mike explained. "Once the CCTV footage is examined, we will have a description of whom we are looking for. It's easier to protect Kara, too."

Cat gave him a small nod. "Then what are you waiting for? Have the footage examined. My security will be more than happy to show you the clips."

"I'll talk to Winn, James." Mike gave his colleague a quick nod and left the room.

Winn picked up in the second ring. Once Mike told him about the CCTV footage, Winn decided to get to work. He promised to let Mike know whatever showed up soon.

Just as he had finished talking to Winn, the others stepped out of the kitchen.

"I'm taking Keira home now," Cat said, pulling her phone out and texting somebody.

"No! If this person is sending letters to your office, then they might as well live in National City," Maxwell said. "I can't afford to let Kara go to that place!"

"Not this again, Maxwell. She has school tomorrow. And we do have a bodyguard for her!" Cat gestured towards Mike. "She will be safe."

Maxwell wanted to argue some more, but he kept quiet when Teagan placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered something to him. Maxwell let out a sigh and nodded.

"Fine. Take Kara with you. But Mike doesn't leave her side for even a minute. Understood?"

"Yes, Sir." Mike gave Maxwell a quick nod. He then went upstairs to freshen up before they left. James had volunteered to drive since he had flown to LA with Cat. Mike didn't protest. He was running on barely any sleep and it wouldn't be good if he was behind the wheel.

They were ready to leave when Kara came downstairs. She did seem a bit sad when her mother told her they were leaving immediately. Maybe she had wanted to spend some time with her father.

Mike carried her bags to the car and waited for her as she stood saying goodbye to Maxwell. Kara then went to sit in the back with Cat. Mike took the passenger seat. He turned to look at Kara once, but she saw looking out the window. Mike turned around when Cat noticed him. He let out a small yawn when James began to drive.

 _A small nap wouldn't hurt_ , Mike decided. Maybe he would have to stay up the whole night.

Kara was the one who woke Mike up when they were about to reach her home. He woke up with a start and rubbed his eyes. "What?"

"We are almost home, sleepyhead." Kara grinned and for some unknown reason, she ruffled his hair. Mike didn't seem to mind. He just turned and gave Kara a big smile.

But Cat Grant was having a little trouble with understanding the situation. Her daughter seemed close to this young man. Cat knew Mike was older and she was mentally questioning his intentions towards her daughter. They carefree proximity irked her.

* * *

 

When they reached Cat and Kara's home, James parked the car in the driveway and helped Mike carry all the bags inside. Once they got in, he turned to face Cat. "Well, Miss Grant. It was fun being your shadow."

He held a hand out for Cat to shake.

Cat shook his hand and said, "People would die to be my shadow, Mr. Olsen. Consider yourself lucky." She smirked at him.

"Wait, what's going on?" Kara asked in confusion.

"We have found out that I'm not the target, Keira. So I don't need a bodyguard. Also, Mr. Olsen is needed here. I have to fly to Metropolis, darling."

"But why, Mom?"

Cat turned to look at the two men who stood looking at her keenly. "Please excuse us." She gestured for Kara to join her in the kitchen. Kara followed her quietly, waiting for her mother to explain. Cat gestured for Kara to take a seat, but the girl shook her head. Cat let out a sigh and said, "Harry's movie is premiering this Friday and he wanted me to be there with him."

"Mom, is it really safe for you to go at this time?"

"Of course, honey. Harry has his own security… Look, Keira, you must be thinking I'm rushing into this, but no. I've been seeing Harry for a while. He's a good man! You'll love him when you meet him."

"I've already met him." Kara looked away. Her father's co-star… Her father's favorite actor from Star Wars! What would her dad say when he found out her mom was dating this man? "When do you leave?"

"Tonight, darling. But I have to leave in an hour. I need to head to CatCo first."

Kara gave her mother a small nod. "Well, have a great trip, Mom." Saying that, she walked out of the kitchen and headed upstairs.

Mike followed her without a word. Kara waited for him by the stairs and he gave her a quick nod as he pulled his gun out and went to sweep the entire floor, especially Kara's room. He returned a few minutes later.

"All clear." Mike was about to go down when Kara grabbed his arm.

"Can we talk after my mother leaves?"

"Of course."

Kara let go of his arm and went straight to her room and closed the door.

Mike headed downstairs. Winn had just called James and the man had asked Cat if they could use her study. Cat nodded and told them to go ahead. Mike followed James to the study where James put Winn on speaker.

"So, Mike's idea of checking the CCTV footage was good because we got something. The person is wearing a rather large coat and leather gloves and a hat. But we can confirm it's a woman with long, black hair. I'm forwarding the image to Mike."

Mike opened his messenger to see the file Winn had sent him. He opened it and showed it to James.

"Yeah, it's a woman, alright," James said as he zoomed the picture.

Mike leaned back in the chair as their boss joined the conversation and they began to discuss Kara's security and catching the woman who wanted to harm her.

Almost an hour later, Cat Grant left for Catco. James went along with her to question the security who had received the letter that his team intercepted.

Once they both left, Mike made sure that every single window was bolted shut and the front door was locked as well. He even moved the small table that stood nearby in front of the door.

"We'll use the backdoor from now on," Mike had said to Kara. "I know this seem too much, but better safe than sorry." After that he headed upstairs to take a quick shower.

Kara stayed back downstairs, texting Miss Sharma to inform her that she had received her message and she would be at the rehearsal tomorrow. She then made her way upstairs to unpack. But the bathroom door opened just then and Mike stepped out… in a towel.

Kara reddened at the sight of him. He had a freaking six-pack and an uber-cool tattoo on his upper left arm.

"Oh hey!" Mike waved to her and walked towards the guestroom, which was his room now.

Kara followed him quickly. "You have a tattoo?!"

"Never seen one up close?" Mike smirked when he saw Kara touch his arm.

"No. It looks cool! What is it?"

"It's a compass."

Kara traced her fingers over the tattoo. "This looks like blue watercolor. What does that mean?"

"I really like the color blue. It's not a complicated tattoo, Kid." Mike grinned as he went to take the clothes out of his bag.

Kara watched him put something around his neck before he asked her to turn around as he held his clothes in his hands.

"Is that a dog tag?" Kara asked, not facing Mike, who was quickly putting on his clothes.

"Kinda. Not what you think. I haven't worn my AF one since my accident."

"Where is it?"

"You can turn now, Kid." Mike took a seat on the bed. "It's at home. Ma kept it safe."

Kara turned around and walked towards him. She reached out to take the one he was wearing. "The Millennium Falcon," she muttered. It was the Falcon that was etched on the dog tag. She turned it around to see words written on the back.

 

> _Love you, Bro!_
> 
> _\- C & W_

"Yup, it's from my brothers. They gave it to me when I returned home from the hospital."

"They must have been really happy that you were back home."

Mike stood up and nodded. "When I left home to join the academy, the only thing they asked was for me to not get myself killed. They wouldn't say it out loud but I know my family is glad I'm no longer a part of the AF. They were really worried I would die."

"Hey! My mom won't let me eat candies for Halloween because she feels it will give me diabetes and then a stroke…"

Mike chuckled. "Your mother is paranoid, isn't she?"

Kara walked out of the room. "Very! It gets scary sometimes."

Mike followed her downstairs and saw her walking into the kitchen. "Have anything in the fridge? I can cook us dinner."

Kara raised a brow at that. "You can cook?"

"I wasn't raised by apes, brat." Mike opened the fridge to see what they had. "I would say Clark is the better cook, but then I don't wanna hurt my feelings."

Kara giggled. "You know you're a great husband material?"

"What's that?" Mike asked pulling a bag of something that looked too organic for his own good.

"I mean, you cook, and you're awfully protective. And not that bad looking…"

"Really?" Mike smirked and shook his head. "Don't tell that to my mother. She's already trying to set me up with her best friend's niece."

Kara's smile fell. "Oh! Arranged marriage? You don't seem like the type who would marry because someone told you to."

Mike shrugged, looking around the kitchen. "Ma is a huge believer in marriages. She threw a party when Clark called to tell us he proposed. I don't have to worry right now because she's trying to find a nice girl for Winn. She feels he needs someone who is calm, caring and cute… like him. But Winn has been in love with Clark's sister-in-law for a while, who's the total opposite of calm. If Winn's the drizzle, then Donna's the hurricane!"

Kara grinned. "Now that sounds like opposite attracts! I always felt that happened with my parents, too… But I guess I was wrong."

"Do you have nothing edible here, Kid? It's all vegan food."

"My mom is vegan." Kara opened a cupboard and pulled out two boxes of instant noodles. "Some hot water and five minutes is all we need."

"Ugh! I thought I was done with these ages ago."

"Welcome to my life, Gramps!"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They are getting closer!!!
> 
>  
> 
> _________________________________________________________________________
> 
> Kudos = Potstickers  
> Comments = Club Soda
> 
> Leave me some if you liked what you read! :)
> 
> If you like the story, don’t forget to Subscribe and Bookmark it, you’ll get a notification whenever there’s a new chapter.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You know, I always wanted to get a tattoo," she said as she sat on a barstool.
> 
> "Why didn't you?" Mike finally looked up from his phone and raised a brow.
> 
> "Have you met my mom? Does she seem like the type to be okay with tattoos and piercings?"
> 
> Mike shrugged. "Your ears are pierced."
> 
> "Well, I got this done when I was visiting Dad. I was ten and I really wanted to get my ears pierced and my dad didn't know how to say no to me. Mom threw a fit and kicked Dad out of the house when he came to drop me."
> 
> "Soooo dramatic!" Mike rolled his eyes comically.

Kara turned the water kettle on and waited for it to heat up. She looked at Mike who was pacing the room with his phone in his hands. He wore a short sleeve blue t-shirt that showed half of his tattoo, making it look mysterious.

"You know, I always wanted to get a tattoo," she said as she sat on a barstool.

"Why didn't you?" Mike finally looked up from his phone and raised a brow.

"Have you met my mom? Does she seem like the type to be okay with tattoos and piercings?"

Mike shrugged. "Your ears are pierced."

"Well, I got this done when I was visiting Dad. I was ten and I really wanted to get my ears pierced and my dad didn't know how to say no to me. Mom threw a fit and kicked Dad out of the house when he came to drop me."

"Soooo dramatic!" Mike rolled his eyes comically. "I wouldn't say my mother hates it, but she isn't really a fan of tattoos. She feels they are too permanent and people change, and we might end up regretting it. My father has a tattoo on his upper arm, too. It's a typical heart with an arrow going across it and Ma's name in the middle. He got it after they got married. He doesn't regret it. Neither do I… Is the water ready yet? I'm starving!"

Kara nodded and poured the hot water into the cups. "So, I'm guessing you aren't seeing anybody…"

Mike looked up and shook his head. "With my job, it's not easy to invest time in a relationship. And I know just how much time and effort one needs to put in a relationship. My parents and Clark are the best examples."

"So what… you just hook up?"

"I used to. Mostly during college. Now I'm trying to save to get my own place. And having a girlfriend can be a bit expensive."

Kara smiled hearing that. The noodles were done so she handed over a cup to Mike with a fork. They ate as they talked about Kara's schedule the next day. She didn't have regular classes, just practice for her play.

"What play is it? Cinderella?" Mike asked before taking another bite of his noodles.

"What? No! Do you think I'm ten?"

Mike shrugged. "You're a Kid. What else will you act in?"

"Oh really? If we were doing Cinderella, what role do you think I would play?"

"I don't know… Fairy Godmother?"

"Mike! Seriously?!"

Mike chuckled before standing up to throw away the cup. Kara had finished eating as well. She poured herself some juice and asked Mike if he wanted some too. But the man wasn't paying attention to her.

Mike then moved towards her and grabbed her arm. "Kara, I'm going to kiss you now."

"Wha—"

"And then I'm going to carry you towards the stairs. Once you get there, I want you to run upstairs and make sure all the curtains are covered in every room."

"Mike, why?"

Mike cupped her face and moved closer. He whispered against her lips. "There's someone standing outside the living room window, looking straight at us. I want you to remain calm. Okay?"

Kara felt a shiver go down her spine, but she nodded. Mike lowered his lips over hers and captured them in a soft kiss. He positioned her head such a way that he could sneak a look at the person looking at them. It looked like a woman. She looked thin, pale and had long, dark hair.

Mike then broke the kiss and bent down to lift Kara in his arms. She buried her face against his neck. He carried her towards the stairs and climbed two steps before lowering her. Kara ran upstairs without a word, doing what Mike had asked her to. Mike, in the meantime, pulled his phone out and called his boss.

"Chief, mayday."

"What is it, Mike?" Henshaw asked.

"There's a woman outside the house, looking through the window," Mike replied in a low voice. "I made sure every window is locked… and the doors as well. The Sparrow is inside, safe. Do you want me to go after the perp?"

"Are you sure this is the same person from the CCTV footage?"

"I'm not 100% positive, but I don't see why anyone would decide to make Cat Grant's living room their reality TV. But if I go out now, this person would know they have been seen and they could run. Running doesn't help us."

"I can't send the team to catch the perp now, Mike. This woman is smart. We can't afford for her to run… Here's what I want you to do," Henshaw sounded calm. "Make sure no one comes in and Kara stays inside tonight. Tomorrow, you drive Kara to her college and stay outside and keep an eye. Whoever this person is, if they know Miss Grant's home then they would also know Kara's college."

"Sir, I have an idea. I can take Kara to her college, but I don't want to bring her back home. I want to use one of the safe houses. Getting there sure is tricky, but a wild goose chase might help. Winn will walk me through."

"The big safe house is currently occupied. But I can get you the keys to the apartment near your place. You might have to stop by to collect the keys from Winn."

"Yeah. And I need more clothes, Boss. I'll drop Kara off at college and head home quickly."

"I'll inform the Falcon and the Eagle of the plan now," Henshaw said. "You make sure the Sparrow is safe. Goodbye, Mike."

"Night, Boss!" Mike cut the call and walked back downstairs. He didn't turn towards the window. He simply walked towards the fridge to grab a bottle of water. As he did so, he sneaked a look at the window. The woman stood right there. Mike let out a sigh and took the bottle upstairs with him.

Kara was in her room now, looking absolutely terrified. When she saw Mike walk in, she looked up. "Who is it? Do you know?"

Mike shook his head. "We aren't completely sure, but we think it's the same person who's been sending the death threats. We recovered a CCTV footage from CatCo earlier and we have an idea what the perp looks like."

"Do you think this person is here to kill me?"

"Over my dead body!" Mike walked towards Kara and sat down on the bed next to her. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I promise you are safe with me… But I don't know how safe we are in  _this_  house."

"Maybe I should drop out of this play and go to Dad's. He's going to be in Paris. Then he's coming back to LA and then he goes to London. If we keep moving around then this person would leave me alone!"

Mike placed a hand on Kara's head. "That won't help, Kid. Here we have backup, a whole team to protect you if things go sideways. I could get you out of the town for a day, at the most. But right now, it's too dangerous."

"What can I do to help?" Kara turned to face Mike. "I've never hurt anyone before, Mike. I don't have enemies. Why does someone want me dead?"

"We have established the motive and it's not you. This person, they want to get even with your parents so they have made you their target."

"Mike, can you please stay in my room tonight? I don't want to stay here alone."

"Of course!" Mike brushed the hair out of the eyes. "Let me just grab my bag and bring it here."

Kara nodded. "I'll change into my PJs till then."

Mike left the room and only returned after Kara had changed. She still looked a bit scared. Looking at the window every other minute. Mike closed the door behind him and went to lie on the empty side of the bed.

"There's a way," he muttered when he noticed Kara lying on her side, facing him. "Most perp focus on one thing, how their victims look like. If they want to attack, they might follow you, so your looks will let them know it's the right person. We could confuse this woman. It will buy us time."

"And how will we do that?"

"Change your appearance. A total makeover is what I'm talking about. The perp knows what you look like. Now imagine this: Kara Danvers, a brunette, wearing age-appropriate, kinda hot clothes and changes her scent."

"You want me to dye my hair?" Kara looked flabbergasted.

"For the time being, yes. You could always go back to being a blonde once this person is locked up. And there's this other thing. I want to move you to a safe house. It's an apartment near my own, so even if we get found out, I could take you to my place… But I'm sure it won't come down to that."

"Should I pack then, if we are leaving tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Pack a backpack, if you can. I'll keep it in the car. Once your drama practice is over, we have to stop by two places before I can take you to the safe house… Just don't sneak out from college. Always wait for me to pick you up. If you can do that, that would be good."

Kara gave him a small nod. She would pack her stuff in the morning. Right now she just wanted to close her eyes and pretend nothing had happened before. She had no idea when she fell asleep. But it felt warm. Safe.

She only woke up the next morning, feeling rested and ready to face the day. But the minute her eyes fell on the figure lying next to her, she gasped. Mike was in bed with her, holding her tightly with his face buried against her neck. They had been cuddling!

Kara moved out of his grasp and hurried to the bathroom. She didn't dare to go downstairs even though she wanted some breakfast. Kara simply took a shower and then started packing a bag. By the time Mike woke up, Kara was ready to leave.

"Did I just… sleep in?" Mike asked, rubbing his eyes. "I never sleep in."

"You look rested," Kara replied. "Oh, I've packed my bag. Whenever you are ready."

Mike asked her to give him ten minutes. When he was ready as well, he went downstairs, his eyes scanning the place quickly. Their unwanted guest was nowhere to be seen. When Mike felt the coast was clear, he carried their bags outside and gestured for Kara to get inside the car.

He drove her to college, not before stopping by a café to grab them some coffee and breakfast wraps.

"Umm…" Kara moaned, after taking a bite of her wrap. "This is so good!"

"Winn and I frequent this place. It's owned by Winn's college friend. They have some really good wraps." Mike took a bite of his own wrap, which was a scrambled egg, sausage and hash brown wrapped in tortilla. He had gotten Kara the same but hers was a fried egg instead of scrambled. "So, you wrap up your practice around 1?"

Kara nodded. "Right in time for lunch!"

Seeing her grin, Mike shook his head. "I love how you love food! We'll get lunch, don't worry. But I have to see the place where you are practicing. I just want to get familiar with the layout. Also, stay with the group. Don't wander off alone. I might have to leave for a while, but I have another guy stationed outside your college, who will keep an eye till I return."

"Isn't this a bit too much?"

"Are you really asking me that after you saw a crazy standing outside your window staring at you like you were a candy bar?!"

Kara looked confused. "Candy? Wait, Noah's gonna be there. He's in the play. He's been casted opposite me."

"What's his role?"

"Err… my husband."

Mike narrowed his eyes at that. "Remember our first lesson. Don't talk to him. But since he's your  _husband_ , just talk when absolutely necessary or avoid him."

"Got it, Gramps!" Kara grinned before taking another bite of her delicious wrap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is Mikey jealous? XD
> 
> _________________________________________________________________________
> 
> Kudos = Potstickers  
> Comments = Club Soda
> 
> Leave me some if you liked what you read! :)
> 
> If you like the story, don’t forget to Subscribe and Bookmark it, you’ll get a notification whenever there’s a new chapter.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "So, how was your dad's premiere?"
> 
> Kara knew Mike would yell at her if he saw her now. She was doing that one thing he asked her not to.
> 
> "It was good," she replied, not looking at Noah, hoping he got the message. "Then again, it's my dad's movie, I could be biased."
> 
> Noah chuckled. "You could be, but I know you aren't. I'm going to watch it this weekend. Would you like to come with me? I mean, I know you already watched it. At a premiere, no less. But it would be fun."

They had finished their breakfast by the time they reached the college. Rutherford International University was a prestigious university. Mike, who had studied at the Academy, never had a chance to go to colleges like this one. As he walked the grounds with Kara, looking around, he wondered if every student was here by merit alone or if something else was involved.

There weren't many people around, so Mike asked, "Are regular classes going around here?"

"Oh, no. It's the month dedicated to extracurricular activities. I went with Arts because I volunteered for the last ECA month. I had a choice between Drama, Athletics or Student Newspaper. I went with one I'm most comfortable with. I'm no good at sports."

"But you want to be a journalist. Shouldn't you be at the student newspaper?" Mike took another sip of his coffee, looking at Kara keenly.

Kara shrugged. "I don't know, Mike. To tell you the truth, I only decided to study Journalism because of my mother."

"I figured that part, alright. But why?"

"Because of CatCo… Mom wants me to run CatCo someday, and I can't do that if I don't even work there."

"That's stupid! I thought you were really interested in being a journalist!"

"It's complicated. You won't understand." Saying that, Kara led the way towards the theater.

"No's gonna be here?" Mike asked before they entered the theater.

"Yeah. He never misses the rehearsals. Why?"

"It's time for lesson number 2, Brat."

**Lesson #2 - Make him jealous**

"And how am I supposed to do that?"

Mike smirked before saying, "Don't worry my presence alone will affect him."

She hadn't expected the others to arrive so early, but they were all on the stage, talking to Miss Sharma.

"Which one's No?" Mike asked, looking at all the young men standing on the stage.

"The one with glasses," Kara replied.

Mike's eyes narrowed at the guy. He was tall and had dark hair, but that was all Mike could see. He then looked around the theater quickly. "Where does that exit lead to?" Mike asked Kara, pointing towards the one near the stage.

"Oh, that actually leads right outside the building. But it's an emergency exit so… we aren't using it right now."

"That's a direct entry to the theater from outside." Mike frowned. "You remember what I told you, right?"

"Yup, Gramps! Don't worry, I'm not gonna wander out alone!"

"Good, Brat. About time you listened to me." When Mike saw No looking right at them, he turned to face Kara. Leaning closer, he gave her a quick peck. "Don't trouble the drama people. I'll see you soon."

Kara blushed lightly and looked away. "Yeah, see ya!" She waved to Mike and went to join the others.

As she climbed the stage, Miss Sharma's eyes fell on her and the lady gave her a kind smile. "Kara, good to see you! I hope you got my message about the costumes trial tomorrow."

"I did, Miss Sharma. Thank you."

"We got the props ready, so we'll start practice in few," Miss Sharma said as she gestured towards the props that had already been set up. Once the drama teacher walked away, Noah approached her.

"Hey Kara! How have you been?"

"Hey! I'm good. Thanks. I should… go keep my bag." Kara headed towards the backstage. To her surprise, Noah followed her.

"So, how was your dad's premiere?"

Kara knew Mike would yell at her if he saw her now. She was doing that one thing he asked her not to.

"It was good," she replied, not looking at Noah, hoping he got the message. "Then again, it's my dad's movie, I could be biased."

Noah chuckled. "You could be, but I know you aren't. I'm going to watch it this weekend. Would you like to come with me? I mean, I know you already watched it. At a premiere, no less. But it would be fun."

Kara knew this was where she had to put her foot down. "Noah, I'm sorry. I'm… going to visit my dad. It's Halloween, so I would like to spend the day with him."

Noah gave her a small nod. "Will your boyfriend be there?"

Kara froze hearing that. So, Noah was aware of Mike yet he asked her out. This was going better than expected. Mike's lesson #2 really worked!

"Yeah! Mike's gonna be there. Dad loves having him around," she muttered. "So do I…" Noah raised a brow hearing that. "Anyway, I gotta go. Gotta start practicing for the play. I'll see you on the stage."

Kara left in a hurry. What had she gotten herself into?

* * *

 

Mike stepped out of the college to see his colleague sitting in his car, keeping an eye on the entrance. Mike gave him a discreet nod and headed towards his own car. Once he got in, he headed home straight. Winn would be waiting for him there with the key to the safe house.

But Mike hadn't realized just how much he had missed home till he pulled his key out and opened the door. He shared a small two-bedroom apartment with his brother. Mike had been saving to get a place of his own, but thankfully it was right across the hallway.

When he walked in, he noticed Winn seated on the couch, still in his PJs, watching TV as he ate a bowl of cereal with M&M's in it.

Winn looked up in surprise. "Oh look who's back home! Mysterious Mike!"

Mike rolled his eyes at his big brother and went straight to the kitchen to pour himself a glass of juice. "You realize you sound jealous right now, don't you, Winny?"

"Hell yeah I am! You just watched my favorite actor's movie at a freaking premiere! And now you're dating his daughter."

" _Fake_  dating his daughter."

"Mike, you are capable of keeping her safe at her own house, yet you chose to move her to the safe house which is an apartment with  _one_  bedroom."

"And a nice sofa bed, bro. What are you insinuating? I'm trying to get into Kara's pants?" Mike turned away as he realized what he had just said. He had already gotten into Kara's pants!

"No. Maybe you like her. Hell! Maybe you even love her!"

"Oh stop it! You've been watching too many chick flicks, Winn!"

Winn shook his head. "What do you actually think about Maxwell's daughter? Give me an honest answer."

"Well, for starters, she's stubborn. She's annoying at times. And such a brat!"

"But you find her cute," Winn pointed out.

"She  _is_  cute, Winn. She's fucking beautiful!"

"And smart, caring, someone who actually gives a damn about you," Winn added.

"Fine! Yeah, she's all that!" Mike threw his arms up in the air in defeat. "And yes, I think I like her. But you know what? She's crazy about this other guy. A dude from her college. Girls like her end up with the good guys, Winn… And I'm not a good guy!" Mike snapped. Saying that, Mike went to his room to pack some more clothes.

When he returned, Winn quietly handed him the key to the safe house and said, "You are Ma and Pa's son. You  _are_  a good guy. Give them some credit, dude!"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm just so frustrated. She was standing right outside the window, Winn! She was staring right at us. That woman is so dangerous, she could have tried to kill us both then and there."

"It's not easy to kill you, even nature would agree with me," Winn joked.

Mike cracked a smile. "There was a fault in the plane. No aliens."

"I never said a word about aliens."

"Yes, you did. That is all you said!"

"At least they didn't abduct you!"

Mike shook his head. "Yeah. Ma would have chased them with a pitchfork if they did."

Both the boys burst out laughing. When Mike was about to leave, Winn pulled him into a quick hug and said, "Miss having you around, bro. Let's find this crazy woman, get her locked up and go home for a few days."

"That's the plan, bro!" Mike patted his brother's back and moved away. He waved him goodbye and stepped out of the apartment.

Mike got a call from his mother just as he got into the car. He put it on speaker before answering. "Hey, Ma! How're you doin'?"

"Hi, honey. I was just calling to see if you're busy. Can you talk?"

"Sure can! Wassup?"

"I have some bad news, Michael. It's your grandma Louise. She tripped and fractured her arm. Jon and I went to see her yesterday. Louise refused to stay at the hospital, so Jon decided to stay back and help your grandpa."

"Is it very serious? Do you want me to come back home?"

"No, honey. That won't be necessary. I've informed Clark already, but not Winn. You know Winn… he will drop everything and rush back home."

"He was always grandma Lou's favorite," Mike replied. "I won't tell him, Ma. Don't worry. How are you and Pa doing? And Grandpa Teddy? Lou is a strong bird, but Gramps is always having a panic attack."

"Ted is surprising fine. Jon being there always helps. Your aunt May flew in last night. She said she would take care of Louise, so we don't have to worry about that. Anyway, how's work, honey? Heard you went to some movie premiere? Winny called Jon and cried about it."

Mike chuckled loudly. "Only because of the job, Ma. Winn's just jealous because it was his favorite actor's movie."

"Did you have a nice time?"

"Yeah. It was a nice film." Mike was just pulling outside Kara's university. "Ma, I gotta go. Back at work."

"Speak soon, honey. Love you."

"Love you, too, Ma." Once his mother cut the call. Mike picked up his phone and stepped out of the car. He stood leaning against it and watched as the students exited the campus. He finally saw Kara walking out talking to couple of girls. The No dude followed them quietly. Once Kara had said goodbye to the girls and was about to join Mike, Noah stopped Kara.

Mike's eyes narrowed at him. He made his way towards them and saw Kara's shoulder ease at the sight of him.

"Hey, babe!" Mike greeted her. He bent down and pecked her lips.

"Mike, hi!" Kara placed her hand over his upper arm. "I was just telling Noah that I have a ride. He offered to drop me home."

"Don't worry about it. Kara and I have plans, so we should get going." Mike took Kara's hand in his. She gave it a squeeze as she said goodbye to Noah and made her way towards Mike's car.

"That went well," Kara said as she got in.

"He's clearly jealous, so our plan is working."

Kara nodded. "It's going better than I expected. He asked me out."

Mike's eyes narrowed at that. "On a date?"

"Yeah. He wants to see Dad's movie with me this weekend. But I told him I was going away to see my dad. For Halloween."

"But Halloween's on Friday. When's your play?"

"Sunday. Why?"

Mike shrugged. "Do you really wanna see your dad on Friday?"

"Teagan sent me a text earlier. Paris premiere is tonight. Dad is flying back to LA tomorrow. We have rehearsals the entire week, except for Halloween… And I thought it's easier to keep me safe here."

"You know I can get you out of the town for a day. We can leave on Thursday after your rehearsal ends. And return by Saturday. Is that the last day of your rehearsal?"

"Saturday? Yeah. I have to be at Uni by 8 in the morning though."

"I'm sure I can get you back here by 8 on Saturday. Let me just talk to my boss first. And then to your dad as well."

Kara gave him a small nod but remained quiet. Just as he pulled outside what looked like a salon, Kara said, "Thanks for doing this, Mike. You really are a good man. I was wrong about you the first time I met you."

Mike's hold on the steering wheel tightened. He didn't reply. But Kara noticed the sudden change in his posture. She had never been in a relationship before, let alone be intimate with a man. Mike was like a riddle she was unable to solve. It always felt as if he was hiding something. What? Kara had no idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #MysteriousMike
> 
> _________________________________________________________________________
> 
> Kudos = Potstickers  
> Comments = Club Soda
> 
> Leave me some if you liked what you read! :)
> 
> If you like the story, don’t forget to Subscribe and Bookmark it, you’ll get a notification whenever there’s a new chapter.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "This nerd is back," Mike said, handing over Kara's phone back to her. "And I can't believe your mom's magazine and a local are arguing over our relationship status."
> 
> "That's common. They once argued about whether Dad and Mom were fighting for my custody. I was thirteen."
> 
> "But this is your mom's magazine? Doesn't she have a say?"
> 
> "She believes in freedom of press. So she lets them do whatever they want." Kara let out a sigh. "If these guys find out we are here, they will probably stalk us."

"Where are we?" Kara finally asked, breaking the silence.

"An old friend owns a salon. They are closed for lunch, but he's going to be there," Mike replied, getting out of the car. "For your hair," he added.

Mike led the way towards the salon that had all its blinds down. Mike's hand was on his gun at the back as he opened the door and looked inside.

When he saw his friend sitting there, reading a magazine, Mike called, "All clear."

His friend looked up and gave him a bright smile. "MK! Long time no see, bud!"

"Hiya, Stevie!" Mike went to greet his friend with a one arm hug. "I was here last month for a haircut. You weren't there."

"Ah! Last month, huh? I was out of town for a couple of days. Family stuff."

"How's Karen doing? How are the kids?"

"They're all doing great!" Steve smiled. "Come over for dinner sometime. The kids miss you!"

"Will do, Stevie."

"Wait, is that…?" Steve finally looked at Kara.

"Yup! Kara, this is my old pal, Steven. Steve, this is Kara. I already told you what we wanted in the phone."

Steve moved towards Kara and held his hand out for her to shake. "Pleasure to meet you, Kara! You look familiar, but I can't seem to place you."

"Nice to meet you, too." Kara shook the hand of the tall man in front of her. He was taller than Mike, had dirty blond hair and twinkling blue eyes.

"Why don't you take a seat?" Steve gestured towards a chair. He then turned towards Mike and said, "MK, the massage chair is all yours. This will take some time, so you relax."

"Thanks, man! I just need to make few work calls first. I'll be back in five minutes." Mike excused himself and went to take a seat at the lounge.

Kara took a seat and watched Steve move behind her. He touched her hair and said, "So soft! You've beautiful hair, Kara. Like my 3-year-old daughter, Yvaine. But you need to take proper care of it. I'll recommend a conditioner later. Did you recently get a haircut?"

"Yeah. Last week."

"The ends are not trimmed properly. Nevermind, we'll fix it." Steve then went to take few hair products out. When he returned, he said, "Mike mentioned you wanted to change your hair color. He said simple brown would do, but Mike has no idea just how many shades there are. So, here we go." Steve handed over a color chart for Kara to choose from.

The names of the colors made her smile. The darkest shade of brown was called  _Espresso_ , something Mike would love for sure. Then the colors lightened and were named Cappuccino, Dark Chocolate, which she was partial to, Coffee Latte, Ginger Brown, Java Frost, Almond Spice, Marble Brown, Coconut Spice and Honey Wheat.

"The Dark Chocolate…" Kara started.

Steve looked at her and said, "That's a shade darker than our typical medium brown. I would suggest medium brown. And we can go with a temporary dye, in case you want to go back to your natural hair color."

"Hey guys!" Mike called as he walked towards them. He looked at the chart in Kara's hand and asked, "Chosen a color yet, Kid?"

"Steve suggested medium brown," Kara replied. "What do you think, Gramps?"

Steve looked at Mike in surprise hearing the pet name Kara used for him. Mike seemed unfazed by it. He simply pointed at the Dark Chocolate color and said, "That one looks nice. Not completely dark, but it's a nice shade of brown."

"Dark Chocolate it is," Kara then said to Steve with a big smile.

"Let me get to work then!" Steve called as he went to fetch the darker shade of brown.

Mike left them to go sit on the massage chair. So once Steve returned and started combing her hair, Kara asked, "Have you known Mike for a long time?"

"We actually met at the Academy." Steven smiled fondly at that. "Mike did tell you about his time at the Air Force, right?"

"Yeah, he did. Are you retired, too?"

"Yup! Unlike Mike, I took a voluntary retirement. They sent me up North. This was when Mike was based in Japan. But I had left my pregnant girlfriend behind and there was no one to take care of her. I decided to leave AF and return home to Karen. We have twins now. They were born premature, so I think I took a good decision."

"They are three now? Your kids?"

"Yes. Yvaine and Aurelius… My wife is a huge nerd!" Steve chuckled heartily.

Kara smiled hearing that. "My dad's name is Maxwell  _Lord-Danvers_ , so your kids don't have to worry about their unique names."

"Ah! That's why I thought I had seen you before! You look a lot like your father."

"Thanks… I guess." Kara grinned. Steve was now applying the dye to her hair. "Did you know about Mike's accident immediately?"

"No, not really. His brother, Winn called me almost a week later… Since they had to put Mike in a medically-induced coma, we weren't allowed to see him. Karen and I visited him after he had woken up. But his mind was all fuzzy so he simply lay there, watching all of us come and go."

"It must have been really hard for him."

"Mike is a strong guy! He actually saved my life once. Thanks to his great mechanic skills," Steve said. "We used to tease Mike a lot. He was always so paranoid. Always looking over his shoulder, reacting at the slightest sounds and checking his plane every single day… I remember having a very bad headache that day, so Mike volunteered to check my plane before we left on a test run. I knew he would annoy me if I said no, so I gave in. And that stubbornness saved my life that day. There was something wrong with my plane. I won't bore you by going into detail."

"There was a fault in his plane during his accident, wasn't there?"

Steve nodded. "That's what Mike told us. Winn feels Mike saw something that day. Something that caused him to lose focus since Mike insisted his plane was in perfect condition. It was wrecked so bad, they could no longer use it. Mike wears a dog tag, if you've noticed. It's made from the actual Falcon. That was the name of his plane. Mike's older brother, Clark managed to get a small piece from the wreck. He had to pull some strings though. Then they turned it into a dog tag so Mike could have a piece of Falcon forever. But whatever Winn says Mike saw, we think only his therapist knows…"

"Mike has a therapist?" Kara looked shocked hearing that.

"Yeah. He didn't mention? I thought he would talk to his girlfriend about it… I mean, you are the only girl he's ever introduced to me."

Kara reddened at that. "No, you got it wrong! Mike and I aren't together!"

"Oh! Sorry. I just thought… Anyway, yes. Mike suffered from PTSD, so he had to see a therapist. He still sees her… He's better than before now. Less paranoid. Not calm though. He's a thunderstorm stuck inside a man's body."

"That's one way to put it." Kara smiled as she looked up at the mirror to see Mike making his way towards them.

He plopped on the chair next to Kara and looked at how Steve was expertly working on her hair.

Once Steve had finished applying the dye, he said, "Let's let it sit for a while. I'm gonna quickly run and call my wife. Need to tell her I'll be a bit late for lunch."

"Thanks for doing this, Steve," Kara called as the man washed his hands and went to grab his phone.

He sent a salute her way and walked away to his office at the back.

"So," Mike started. "I talked to my boss and also Teagan, she said she will call you soon. As for my boss, he's okay with you going to LA to see your dad. Teagan said Maxwell would be waiting for you. She's booking our tickets. She did say something about flying being faster so we can have dinner with your dad and Teagan on Thursday. Just talk to her, she'll explain it all."

Kara grinned at Mike. "I can't believe you managed to pull it off!"

"I'm sure I can keep you safe there if I can keep you safe  _here_ , where there's the real danger."

"Good! At least I won't feel as if I lied to Noah now."

"I told you not to talk to him, Brat!"

"I know, Gramps. But I went backstage to keep my things and he just followed me… Anyway, you should go get another massage, I'll be here checking my social media."

"One massage is enough." Mike got comfortable in his seat, indicating he wasn't going anywhere.

Kara took her phone and opened her Twitter. The second she did, she gasped.

"What is it?" Mike asked, looking around quickly.

"We broke the internet." Kara showed him the tweets by some girl who had seen them at the airport.

"Do these people have nothing else to do?" Mike asked, scrolling down to read more tweets.

 

 

 

 

> **CHASE** @CHASEMag 1d
> 
> Kara Danvers and her hot and happening boyfriend, #MysteriousMike were spotted at the Metropolis airport. They sure don't shy away from PDA. A fan reportedly saw them smooching before they boarded the flight to LA.
> 
>  
> 
> **National City Daily**  @NCDaily 1d
> 
> Cat Grant's daughter stole the show at the premiere of her father Maxwell Lord-Danvers's film #MissionPossible3. Kara and her rumored boyfriend, Mike were seen flying to LA. Can't wait to see them back home! It's time for college, you two!
> 
>  
> 
> **CatCo**  @CatCoMagazine 1d
> 
> We can confirm that Kara Danvers is dating Mike Matthews. Not much is known about him yet. He does like to be mysterious. But he's a resident of National City. And no, he does not go to Kara's college.
> 
>  
> 
> **National City Daily**  @NCDaily 1d
> 
> He's called #MysteriousMike. We cannot confirm who he is or where he studies though. All we know is he's rumored to be dating Miss Danvers.
> 
>  
> 
> **Barry Allen**  @imbarryfast 1d
> 
> Are @CatCoMagazine and @NCDaily really arguing over Kara and her 'boyfriend?' Just leave them alone. They deserve some privacy.
> 
>  

"This nerd is back," Mike said, handing over Kara's phone back to her. "And I can't believe your mom's magazine and a local are arguing over our relationship status."

"That's common. They once argued about whether Dad and Mom were fighting for my custody. I was thirteen."

"But this is  _your_   _mom's_ magazine? Doesn't she have a say?"

"She believes in freedom of press. So she lets them do whatever they want." Kara let out a sigh. "If these guys find out we are here, they will probably stalk us."

"And that is exactly why we are getting your hair color changed." Mike went back to reading the tweets.

He got a call by the time Kara's hair was almost done. So when he turned around, hearing her voice, he noticed Steve had styled her hair in a way she now had bangs. Mike smiled at the sight of her. She looked really cute with her newly colored brown hair.

Thanking Steve and saying goodbye to him quickly, Mike led Kara out.

"How do I look?" Kara asked once they stepped out.

Mike turned around with a smile. When he took his phone out, Kara titled her head to one side.

"Smile for me, Brat."

Just as she smiled, he clicked a picture of hers. He then moved closer and showed it to her before setting it as her contact photo.

"You look really cute," Mike whispered, moving closer. He then placed a soft kiss on her cheek and turned away, leaving Kara blushing at his little gesture.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so emotional by how Kara and Mike's relationship is progressing. My vacation starts tomorrow so I'm not sure if you guys will get that Wednesday update next week, so do enjoy this! Hope you guys are liking what you're reading!
> 
> _________________________________________________________________________
> 
> Kudos = Potstickers  
> Comments = Club Soda
> 
> Leave me some if you liked what you read! :)
> 
> If you like the story, don’t forget to Subscribe and Bookmark it, you’ll get a notification whenever there’s a new chapter.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "What are we watching?" he asked, before taking a sip.
> 
> Kara grinned mischievously. "Haunting of Hill House!"
> 
> "Haunting? What no! I'm not watching horror!"
> 
> "You are!" Kara pressed play and grabbed Mike's arm. She leaned closer as the show began. "Suffer, Mike! We are gonna binge watch the entire season!"
> 
> "You little evil brat!"

The drive to the safe house didn't take too long. Kara wasn't familiar with this place but she knew there was a farmers market nearby.

Mike parked his car in the small parking space outside and went to grab her bags from the boot. Kara got out and looked around. In front of her stood a 5-storey building. Mike led her in, there was an old elevator in the corner that they took and he pressed the button to the 4th floor.

"This is an old building," Mike said. "The loft is better. It was refurbished recently."

Kara gave him a small smile. He was trying his hardest to make her feel comfortable.

When they reached the 4th floor, they stepped out to see a long corridor in front of them. There were only two doors. One on the left and the farthest door on the right.

Mike led the way to the door on the right. He pulled a key from his pocket and opened the door. He didn't ask her to stay outside. The place was safe for her.

Kara walked in after Mike to see a neat and well-furnished loft. The dining table was on the left as soon as they entered. The kitchen was on their right. There was a couch and two armchairs on the other side of the room. A flat-screen sat in front of the couch.

"Where are the rooms?" she asked, looking around.

"Umm… it's behind the curtains."

Kara walked towards it, pushing the curtains away. There was a bed there and a floor-length mirror on the side next to a table. There was another door so she went to open it. It wasn't another room like she had expected. It was the bathroom.

"There's only one room here, Mike!"

"Yes. Safe houses aren't usually this small. This is a… safe loft. It's meant for one person. But since I can't really leave you here alone… Don't worry, I won't come into the room."

"I'm  _not_  worried about that, Mike. Where will you sleep?"

"The couch… it's actually a sofa bed."

Kara didn't seem too pleased with his answer. "We should have stayed at my house. You won't even sleep properly in a sofa bed."

"Don't worry about me, Kara." Mike kept her bags near the bed and walked back into the living room. "We don't have cable here, but there's Netflix."

"Okay. I'm going to take a shower first. Will you be making dinner? Because I can't cook."

Mike shook his head. "No groceries. Need to go shopping first."

"Great! We can do that." Kara went to take her clothes out of her bag and went to the bathroom.

Mike made use of this opportunity to talk to his father and grandfather. His grandmother was better now, but she was asking about Winn.

Once the call ended, Mike waited for Kara to join him. When she did, he said, "Get ready! I'm taking you out on lunch."

"Yes! I was so hungry!" Kara was wearing PJs, but she told Mike she would join him in a minute and went back to the room.

She came out wearing a long, dark blue, button-down fall dress. She grabbed a thin brown belt and put it on before taking out a pair of brown heels from her bag. Mike had changed his t-shirt and now he wore a dark blue shirt over his black jeans. He grabbed a black coat before walking out.

Since they were taking a car, Kara guessed they weren't having lunch anywhere nearby.

"Is this your own car?" Kara asked once he pulled out into a crowded street.

"No. It's from work. They gave it to me after I was assigned to protect you… It's bulletproof."

"Oh! So what car do you have?"

"I don't have one, Kara. I have a motorbike though. A Harley Davidson."

Kara smiled at that. "You do seem like the motorbike type."

"It's cooler than a car!"

"Sure it is!" Kara grinned at him. "Will you ever take me on your bike?"

Mike's smile slipped a little. "My bike isn't bulletproof, Kara. And by the time we capture the person who's after you... I don't know if we can see each other after that."

Kara gave him a small nod. "Is it because you will be assigned to someone else?"

"I guess. I'm not sure. I could get a desk job," Mike joked, finally getting a smile from Kara.

"You don't strike me as the desk job kinda guy, Gramps."

"My mother wishes I was. She would rather have me working behind a desk than going out and doing anything that remotely dangers my life."

"I wish I could meet her. Your mother, I mean."

"She would love to meet you, too." Mike pulled outside a restaurant just as he said that. He stepped out and went to open her door.

They walked in together and Kara noticed it was a seafood restaurant. She had never been here before.

The Hostess gave them a pleasant smile and asked if they had a reservation.

"Hi. Reservation under the name Kent," Mike said as Kara stood looking around.

The Hostess then led them to a table with a beautiful view. It was facing a waterfront restaurant and they were seated in the corner next to the glass wall.

"This is a nice place," Kara said once they were seated.

"I came here with my mother once. She was visiting us. Winn was busy so I thought I could take Ma around the town. She liked it."

A server came to their table and took their orders. Once he left, Kara spoke, "That name you used for the reservation… Did you do that so no one stalks us?"

"Umm… yeah, something like that. And I think you are unrecognizable as a brunette. The color really suits you."

Kara smiled beautifully. "I might keep this color."

"Go to Steve's salon. He's good at this."

"Why did he open a salon?"

"When we were at the academy, we had a strict dress code. And we had to cut our hair really short. There was a barber near the academy and he would cut our hair so short, it looked as if we were all bald. So Stevie came up with an idea. He had a trimmer and he started trimming his own hair. And then we all went to get our hair trimmed. We paid 5 cents." Mike chuckled. "Karen's pregnancy didn't go smoothly. So, Steve had to leave AF. He started the salon with a friend of his."

"You guys seem close."

"Wait till you meet Donna." Mike smiled brightly. "She's my best friend!"

"The same Donna Winn likes?"

"Yeah. We became friends before I left to AF. She was one of the few people who actually kept in touch with me after I went there."

Kara gave him a small nod. "The two of you… never dated?"

"Oh no! Our personalities are so alike, we would kill each other in two days!"

The server returned with their drinks just then. Once he left, Kara asked, "But why? How old is she again?"

"Doe's the same age as me," Mike replied, taking a sip of his drink. "And the reason why I never saw her that way was because of Diana."

"Your sister-in-law?"

"She wasn't my sister-in-law then. Clark had just moved to Metropolis for college. He brought along a girl for Thanksgiving and kept insisting that she was only a friend. You know Diana is originally from London? So she has a British accent, and I was mesmerized! I was just fifteen, and you could say she was my first crush... A few months later, Clark called us and told us he's dating Diana. It was like all my dreams had shattered. I didn't speak to my brother for over a month!"

Kara smiled hearing that. "You got over your crush obviously."

"I did. Diana and Clark came to the next Thanksgiving together, but this time Diana's younger sister tagged along. I don't think I ever connected with someone on such a spiritual level." Mike chuckled heartily. "It's like she's my twin! We are crazy together!"

"Where is she now? Does she live here in National City?"

"Oh no. She lives in Metropolis, but she went back to London last month. Donna's in between jobs. She's moving here soon."

"Oh! Will she… will she be staying at your place?"

"Well, obviously! She will claim my room. She always does that. But once I move into my own place, there won't be any problem. She can stay anywhere she wants."

Kara didn't know why she was suddenly feeling so jealous. To think that Mike had someone special in his life. Even if they weren't together as a couple, Donna was still so close to Mike. She didn't talk much after that. Mike went on to tell a story about Winn and how he almost broke his arm while they were visiting their grandparents when they were kids.

Once they had finished lunch, they went to do some grocery shopping. Mike didn't buy much, but he bought enough for the two of them.

When they got back home, Kara hurried to get out of her dress and put on her PJs. She then turned on Netflix to see Mike had already set it up on his account. There were two accounts that read: Winny and Mikey.

Kara grinned as she clicked on Winn's name. He mostly watched chick flicks and romcoms. Kara was surprised by his choice, but she quickly changed the account and saw what was on Mike's list. Mike watched a whole bunch of thrillers and action movies and some historical dramas.

Kara shook her head. She had to get back to him. If he thought he could scare her in her room and get away with it… he was so darn wrong.

The Haunting of the Hill House was being recommended so she clicked on that to watch the trailer.

Mike had gone to shower. When he returned wearing a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, he grabbed himself a beer from the fridge and plopped next to Kara on the couch.

"What are we watching?" he asked, before taking a sip.

Kara grinned mischievously. "Haunting of Hill House!"

"Haunting? What no! I'm not watching horror!"

"You are!" Kara pressed play and grabbed Mike's arm. She leaned closer as the show began. "Suffer, Mike! We are gonna binge watch the entire season!"

"You little evil brat!"

Kara rested her head over his upper arm and chuckled. "Chillax, Gramps. Some horror won't kill you!"

They decided to order Pizza since Kara really wanted Mike to watch the show with her. It arrived by the time the first episode ended and Mike sat froze on the couch.

"She wasn't real," he whispered.

"Obviously, Gramps! She was a ghost!" Kara got up to get the pizza. Mike wanted to pay, but she wasn't having it. He had already paid for their breakfast and lunch. "My treat!" Kara said as she brought the pizza box inside. "What do you want to drink, Mike?"

"After seeing  _that_ , I'll have a beer, please."

Kara grabbed a can of soda for herself and a bottle of beer for Mike. She sat next to him and said, "Time for episode two!"

"Please! There are literally so many other things we can watch. Why horror?"

"Who told you to scare me back at my dad's place?"

"Hey! You made me sit through Conjuring!"

"This is your punishment, Mike. You better enjoy it." Kara grinned at him as she grabbed a slice of pizza for herself.

The show was chilling, and Kara found Mike close his eyes more than once. By the time the second episode was over, he had grabbed himself another beer.

Kara stood giggling as she turned off the TV. "I can't believe you're scared of fiction, Gramps!" When she saw him keep his beer away and make his way towards her slowly, her smile fell. "Hey! What are you doing?"

"You're gonna pay for this brat!" Mike walked towards her and tackled her so they fell on the bed together. He then began to tickle her.

Kara burst out laughing. "Mike, no! Stop!" she screamed.

"This is your punishment, Brat. You better enjoy it!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ladies and Gentlemen, Kara and Mike are SO gonna bang! I'm shooketh!
> 
> _________________________________________________________________________
> 
> Kudos = Potstickers  
> Comments = Club Soda
> 
> Leave me some if you liked what you read! :)
> 
> If you like the story, don’t forget to Subscribe and Bookmark it, you’ll get a notification whenever there’s a new chapter.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara looked at Mike's frustrated expression quietly. Then she burst out laughing. "Bad luck followed you all the way here!"
> 
> Mike huffed and went to take a pillow from the bed. He put it on the couch and was about to lie down when Kara spoke, "You know the bed is big… We can always share."
> 
> Mike sat up and frowned. "You kick in your sleep."
> 
> "No, I don't!" Kara pouted. Maybe she did. It wasn't like she ever shared a bed with anyone before. "You sleep talk!"
> 
> Mike rolled his eyes at her. "I know. Unlike you, I openly accept my nightly… activities."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hotness alert! And this is where I change the rating!

"Please let me go!" Kara cried, all the while giggling as Mike tickled her. "I won't make you watch Hill House again! Stop, Gramps!"

"No! I can't trust you, Kid. You will make me watch that stupid scary show and I won't sleep another night!"

"I'll make it up to you!" Kara didn't know what got into her but she grabbed Mike closer and crashed her lips against his. Before she could deepen the kiss, Mike broke it and moved away. Kara fell on the bed with a slight thud. "Mike?" Her voice was low, confused. What if she had made a wrong move?

Mike's pupils dilated as he moved closer. "You don't know what you're asking for, Kara."

"Please."

Mike buried his face against her neck and sighed. "Stupid brat! If you really wanted to sleep with me, you should have told me before. I would have grabbed a box of condoms when we went shopping."

When he looked at her again, she blushed and looked away.

"Wait, are you on the pill?"

"What? No! I mean… should I be?"

Mike once again buried his face against her neck and moaned. "Brat, you could consider going on a pill in the future, okay? For now, let me just make you feel good." Saying that, he started kissing the pulse point on her neck. When he sucked on it, Kara shivered lightly.

"Let's get you out of this," he said as she started pulling the t-shirt over her head.

Kara squealed a little when the cold air hit her bare skin. Mike began to undress as well. He kept his boxers on as he tugged on her pajamas.

"Mike, slow down!"

"This is all your fault, Brat! That horror show gave me an adrenaline rush!"

When Kara was left in her cute, white bunny underwear, Mike grinned as he began to unclasp her bra. But he couldn't find the clasp at the back.

"Stop tugging, it's a front-closing bra." Kara removed it herself and threw it on the chair nearby.

Mike sat back on his heels and looked at her keenly. Kara felt as if his gaze pierced through her skin. "I know I'm small, you don't have to look at me like that."

Mike breathed heavily as he cupped her breast in his hand. She wasn't small like she thought she was, but her breast fit into his hand. Mike kneaded her nipple as he moved closer and whispered against it. "Your boobs are cute. And look how hard your nipples are… Are you wet for me, baby?" He kissed her nipple, before moving to the other one and giving it equal attention. As he took her rose bud in his mouth, suckling on it slowly, he started kneading her other nipple. He tugged on it, pinched it lightly, eliciting a moan from Kara. As he moved to take the other nipple in his mouth, he felt Kara clench his hair tightly. Mike slowly starting sucking on the nipple. He bit on it and tugged it in his mouth. Kara's moans started getting louder as his ministrations got bolder.

He finally slipped his fingers over her thigh and moved them towards her sex. Kara gasped when she felt his finger rub her clit as it slowly trailed downwards and slipped inside her. Giving her nipple one final kiss, Mike moved away. He removed her panties and threw them away before sitting on his heels again as he slipped another finger inside her.

"So wet, baby," Mike groaned as he started pumping his fingers into her. Seeing her respond by, he started thumbing her clit.

"Ahh, Mike…" Kara arched her back. "Mike… so full…"

"That's it, baby girl. Let your voice out!"

Kara felt tears swelling up in her eyes. She felt so full and so good. Mike was making her feel things she never knew she could. All these sensations… they were oh-so new yet they sent her heart racing.

Just when she felt she couldn't get any wetter, she felt Mike remove his fingers from her sex. She looked up at the loss of his touch. But he surprised her by moving his face towards her sex. She gasped when she felt his lips touch her nether lips.

"Ahhh! Ummm!" Kara whimpered when Mike began to kiss her sex before sliding his tongue inside. He started rubbing her clit again, all the while sucking and sliding his tongue deep into her.

Kara clenched the sheets in her fists as she felt she was about to come. "Mike… I'm coming…"

Mike sucked on her clit before saying, "Come for me, baby."

Kara came with a loud moan. She felt satiated, happy even, but she couldn't move her legs. When Kara saw that Mike was getting up from the bed, she tried to grab his hand.

"I'll be back in a minute," Mike said as he leaned closer to kiss her temple.

But he didn't come back in a minute. He took longer. When he returned from the bathroom, he looked a bit calmer. Mike was carrying a small bowl and a washcloth.

"I'm going to clean you up quickly. It's just warm water, so you relax." He gave her a kind smile. "I need you to open your legs."

Kara had no idea if this was normal. She hadn't read about this anywhere! Where was her freaking manual on sexual intercourse?

When Mike cleaned her with the warm washcloth, she relaxed a bit. She was a little sore, but what Mike was doing helped.

Once he was done, he went back to the bathroom. When he returned, Mike grabbed Kara's pajamas and told her she could put them on here; that he would be in the living room.

Once Mike walked away, Kara got out of the bed and put on her panties first and then tugged the t-shirt over her head. She went after Mike to see him trying to unfold the couch.

"What's wrong?" she asked, standing near the armchair to see what Mike was up to.

"This darn thing won't unfold!"

Kara crinkled lightly. "Let me try." She moved towards the couch and started to see if there was someway to lift the top up.

"I tried everything, Kid. It's not a fuckin sofa bed!"

"What?"

"They told me it was a sofa bed. That it can be unfolded and used as a proper bed!"

"What if it was changed?"

Mike held up a finger, asking for a minute. He pulled his phone out and called someone. Mike walked away to the kitchen and was talking in a low voice so Kara couldn't hear what he was saying. When he returned, he looked pissed.

"What happened, Mike?"

"You know who lives in 4B? A colleague of mine. That bastard broke his couch while banging some chick so he decided to take the sofa bed! And then he found this on sale and put it here!"

Kara looked at Mike's frustrated expression quietly. Then she burst out laughing. "Bad luck followed you all the way here!"

Mike huffed and went to take a pillow from the bed. He put it on the couch and was about to lie down when Kara spoke, "You know the bed is big… We can always share."

Mike sat up and frowned. "You kick in your sleep."

"No, I don't!" Kara pouted. Maybe she did. It wasn't like she ever shared a bed with anyone before. "You sleep talk!"

Mike rolled his eyes at her. "I know. Unlike you, I openly accept my nightly… activities."

Kara smiled hearing that. "The couch is too small for you to sleep on comfortably. Let's share the bed. I insist."

"Why, Kara Danvers, are you trying to get into my pants?"

"Yeah, right!" Kara rolled her eyes at him as she grabbed the pillow he took and headed back to bed.

Mike didn't follow her immediately. He was busy calling their neighbor and yelling at him for taking the couch. He came to bed five minutes later, looking like a drenched puppy in need of love.

Kara simply moved the comforter away so he could slide in. When he did, she asked, "Who's Rhea?"

Mike froze next to her. "No one."

"Really? You kept calling her name in sleep. And then you kinda… I don't know how to explain it, but it looked like you were in pain."

"Rhea's the name of a character from a stupid movie I watched when I was a kid. She was a rich socialite with issues. She killed her husband…"

"What kinda movies were you watching when you were little?" Kara asked in horror. "Didn't your parents stop you?"

"They weren't there when I watched it. If they had been..." Mike trailed off into some deep thought.

Kara let out a yawn. She fell asleep as she kept staring at Mike.

* * *

 

Kara woke up the next morning to a loud noise. She jumped to see it was her phone. Mike was wrapped around her like a vine. Even he opened his tired eyes and moved away from Kara.

"Hey Mom!" Kara answered the phone, looking at Mike, who was lying on his side of the bed now.

"Young lady, where are you right now? Why aren't you home?"

Kara gulped hearing her mother's stern tone. When Mike gestured for her to put it on speaker, she did. "Mom, we had a problem. The person who sent those death threats showed up outside our home, and Mike felt that it was not safe for me to be there."

"I don't care what Mike feels! You should have talked to me first. I'm your mother, Keira! I called home and you wouldn't pick up your phone. I was so worried!"

"You could have just called my mobile… I always have it with me, Mom."

"Don't talk back, Keira! I had to call Teagan to find out where you were. Imagine my surprise when she tells me you were at some safe house with that bodyguard!"

Kara kneaded her temple. "Mom, Mike talked to Dad before bringing me to the safe house. Dad was okay with it." Mike showed Kara his phone just then. He had typed something in his notes for her to read. "And Mike called you yesterday to inform you about moving to the safe house. You didn't pick up the phone."

"I don't need your excuses, Keira. After this thing ends and that psychopath is captured, you will never see that man again." Cat Grant cut the call saying that, as if her word was final.

Kara looked at Mike helplessly. He didn't say anything. He simply got up and headed to the bathroom.

Kara lay back after keeping her phone away. The idea of eventually saying goodbye to Mike hurt. They had met in unusual circumstances, but they had gotten so close in just few days. People like Mike were supposed to make great friends for life. And she really didn't have anyone to call her friend.

As she closed her eyes again, a name escaped her lips, "Mon-El…"

She opened her eyes again in surprise. She had dreamt about him again… the man with Mike's face. But this time there wasn't any sad goodbye. Instead she saw herself with him at a bar, drinking… club soda.

When Mike stepped out of the bathroom, now freshly showered, Kara asked, "Mike, did you ever work as a bartender?"

Mike raised a brow hearing that. "No. Why would you ever think I did?"

"I don't know… Just curious."

"I used to work part-time at our family diner when I was a teen."

"Your family owns a diner?" Kara asked in surprise.

"Yeah. Back at our town. Mackey's. I was behind the grill though."

Kara gave him a small nod. This man truly was surprising.

"Hey! About your mother," Mike started. "I'm sorry you had to hear all that. I did try to call her but she wasn't picking up her phone. My boss tried too."

"Don't worry about it. She's just in one of her moods."

Mike gave her a small nod, understanding the situation. "If you say so."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I SHIP IT! Do you?
> 
> _________________________________________________________________________
> 
> Kudos = Potstickers  
> Comments = Club Soda
> 
> Leave me some if you liked what you read! :)
> 
> If you like the story, don’t forget to Subscribe and Bookmark it, you’ll get a notification whenever there’s a new chapter.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "So…" Noah spoke, taking a sip of his latte. "Your boyfriend seemed to be a bit of a—"
> 
> "Douchebag?"
> 
> Noah nodded. "Sorry. I just thought he was someone nice. There were pictures of the two of you from the premiere. He was hugging you."
> 
> "All for media's sake. He knew we were being watched," Kara lied.

The morning was spent with Mike making Kara breakfast and then driving her to college. He had gotten a message that he had to be at work after he dropped Miss Danvers off.

"Time for your third lesson," Mike said just as he parked his car outside Kara's university.

**Lesson #3 - Make him concerned**

"Concerned? How?"

"See, if a guy feels you are in a relationship with a douchebag and he has feelings for you, he  _will_  try to talk you out of your current relationship."

Kara frowned. "Gramps, you are annoying sometimes, but you aren't a douchebag!"

"I know, baby girl. But I will be… for No's sake."

Kara didn't like the sound of that. She didn't want Mike to act like that just for Noah to ask her out.

"So, here's what we'll be doing," Mike started. "You text me when you have a break. I'll call you and say few things. You repeat word by word, okay? And then, I'll come to pick you up. You have to come at least five to ten minutes later. And when I see you, I will tell you you've made me wait for almost thirty minutes. And then we argue. You are in a play. You are Lord-Danvers' kid. So I'm sure you can act. After that, I will leave you there and walk away. I will be pissed at you, so you can't follow me. Understand? I will say you are a brat and you annoy me, so you need to act as if you are mad at me."

"Can you not call me brat, please? At least not in front of Noah." Kara blushed a little. "It's just… it's an inside joke between us."

"Then I'll say you're stubborn and arrogant and you make me wanna pull my hair off. Okay?"

"Fine. So you won't be picking me up?"

"No, if I do then it won't look like a fight. There's a café near your college, right? You go there. Make sure No follows you. Order something to calm yourself and then tell No that I'm not the guy you thought I was. Tell him you feel suffocated in this relationship—"

"Do I really have to lie so much, Mike?"

"Yes! This is the only way No is gonna man up! Anyway, my brother will be at the café. Once you are ready to leave, just walk up to the counter and get yourself a 'Strawberry muffin', that's the code word. Winn will know you are ready to leave. Once you step out, walk a little further and take the first left. Winn will be waiting for you in a car similar to the one I'm driving now. I'm airdropping a photo of Winn, so don't get into a stranger's car, Kid."

Once the photo was on her phone, Kara zoomed it to see it was a picture of Mike and his brothers. It was probably taken at their farmhouse since there was a tractor in the background. She recognized Clark immediately. Clark was standing with his back against the tractor and his arms folded across his chest. Mike sat on top of the tractor, laughing. The third man in the picture was Winn. Kara was surprised to see that he was shorter than both his brothers and he didn't really resemble any of them. But he had the same shade of brown hair as Clark.

"This is Winn?" Kara asked, pointing at his face. "The two of you don't really look alike."

Mike stiffened hearing that. "Are you saying that because of his height?"

"I guess?"

"Winn wasn't always the shortest. I was… When I was little, I was so small, I always had to deal with bullies. Clark would end up getting into fights because of me. Then I had a major growth spurt and towered over Winn and Ma soon. Pa and Clark are both 6'1". I'm 6'… But everyone says I look like a baby boy."

Mike made a cute face that made Kara burst out laughing. He chuckled as well, before saying, "But Winn's the guy with the biggest heart! You'll adore him... Oh! The strawberry muffin is for him. I'll pay you back later."

"Don't worry about that. I'm just grateful your brother is helping us out! I will buy him the whole café if he wants."

Mike shook his head. "Don't tell Winn that. He would take your word for it. He's a huge foodie."

"Then I guess I'll get along with him well!" Kara smiled before stepping out of the car. "I'll see you later, Gramps."

"See ya, Brat! Don't get into too much trouble."

"Do I ever?" Kara winked at him and turned to walk away.

Mike sat there watching her head towards the theater. Noah appeared by her side and led her to their rehearsals. Cursing himself, Mike drove away to his office. He had to see his brother!

* * *

 

Kara had gotten busy with the rehearsals as soon as she got to the theater. When it was finally time for their break, she sent Mike a text.

_On my break now. Call me, Gramps._

Mike called her two minutes later. "Brat," he said, his voice calm. "Is No near you?"

"Uh huh," Kara said, giving Noah a small smile as he came to sit next to her and handed her a bottle of water. She thanked him before talking to Mike. "What's up, Mike?"

"Good. Just repeat what I'm about to say next."

Kara braced herself. "What? But you promised, Mike! What do you mean you can't make it…? The tickets are already booked… Tea made the bookings… Yes, I understand you are busy, but I told you a week ago! Gosh, Mike! Why are you acting like this?" Kara could feel Noah's concerned gaze on her. "Fine! Whatever." She cut the call, huffing loudly.

"Everything okay, Kara?" Noah asked quickly, seeing her get up and take a sip from the water bottle.

"Yeah. It's just my boyfriend," Kara said. "We made plans to go to LA on Thursday to spend Halloween with my dad. Now he saying he's busy and he won't make it. The tickets are booked. Non-refundable."

"But he did go to the premiere with you."

"The premiere was a different story, Noah." Kara walked away when Miss Sharma called them.

She didn't like what Mike made her do. He was painting an entirely different picture for Noah. When the truth was Mike protected her and even comforted her when she was feeling low. She couldn't call him a friend. He wasn't her lover. Mike was somewhere in between and she just didn't want to give up on that. But when the evening came and she had to face him again, Kara started questioning if Mike ever felt anything for her or if she was just a job for him.

As she made her way out of the college after rehearsals, Kara found Mike standing near his car, waiting for her.

Noah had been talking to her all the while, telling her about inviting his parents to the play.

When Kara saw Mike make his way towards her, she gave him a small wave. "Hey!" Kara called, grasping the shoulder strap of her crossbody bag.

"Hi," Mike greeted her, completing ignoring Noah. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah. Did you talk to Tea?" Kara asked, moving a little closer to Mike. She looked nervous enough for him to know that she was acting like he had wanted to.

"Babe, I told you before, work is hectic!"

"Mike, I talked to you before making plans."

"Did you, Kara? Because all I remember is you telling me we are going. You never asked if I was free to go along with you."

Kara frowned at him. "But you didn't have any problems coming to the premiere with me! Why? Because you got a free ticket to fame? Because you broke the Internet? Is that why?!"

Mike grabbed Kara's upper arm and narrowed his eyes. "Don't do this, Kara. If you want to talk, we can do it at home."

Kara pulled her arm out of his gasp and said, "No, Mike. We do it now. Because you know what your problem is? You can talk to anyone… but me. What am I? A girlfriend in name? You feel more comfortable around Donna than me!"

Mike was taken back by surprise when he heard Kara say Donna's name. They were supposed to be pretending. Why was she dragging Donna into this?

"Kara, leave Donna out of this. You don't know what you're talking about."

"No, Mike. I do. The day you feel comfortable talking to me first, then we can have this conversation." Kara folded her arms across her chest and waited for him to speak.

But instead of doing that, Mike let out a curse and turned around. Something caught his eye and without another word, he ran.

"Where is he going?" Noah asked, making his way towards Kara.

"I don't know. And I don't care. He can go to hell!" Kara mentally winced at her own words. Why had she even brought up Donna? Why was she letting her jealousy get in the way? "I need a drink. Would you like to join me?" she asked, looking at Noah. When he nodded quietly, she led the way to the café.

Kara ordered lemonade infusion tea. Noah had asked for a chai latte. Once Kara paid for their drinks, they made they way towards a small table and took a seat. Kara's eyes scanned the whole place to see if Mike's brother was really here. And he was.

Winn sat in the table next to the glass wall, reading something on his phone. There was a half-full Frappuccino on the table in front of him. By the looks of it, it was something out of the special menu looking all blue and white.

"So…" Noah spoke, taking a sip of his latte. "Your boyfriend seemed to be a bit of a—"

"Douchebag?"

Noah nodded. "Sorry. I just thought he was someone nice. There were pictures of the two of you from the premiere. He was hugging you."

"All for media's sake. He knew we were being watched," Kara lied.

"I'm sorry, Kara," Noah said, sounding honest. "Look, I know it's not my place but this doesn't seem like a healthy relationship. Have you ever thought of getting out of it?"

"Not really. But I'm going to think about it."

Noah reached out to pat Kara's hand that was resting on the table. "Hey! I'm here for you. If you wanna talk about it, I'm just a message away."

"Thank you, Noah."

Knowing that she could no longer do this, no longer pretend as if Mike was not a good guy, Kara decided to leave. She told Noah that she was heading home since she had a headache. He offered to give her a ride, but she refused. She went to order a strawberry muffin. When she turned around after paying for it, she noticed Winn wasn't there.

Noah walked with her, but he had to return to the campus to get his car. He once again offered to give her a ride, but Kara politely refused. Once Noah left, she quickly started walking. Winn's car was waiting for her like Mike said it would be.

Before getting into the passenger seat, she bent down to see if it really was Winn. Noticing her, he looked up with a bright smile. Kara opened the door and got it.

"Hi! You're Winn, right?" She held her hand out for him to shake. "I'm Kara."

"I know!" Winn said, excitedly. "Did anyone ever tell you you look a lot like your dad? I'm a huge fan of his!"

"Well, Winn, what can I say? You are his fan. I'm his daughter. I think we will get along pretty well!"

"You betcha, Kara!" Winn started the car with that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear Mike,
> 
> I love you, but can you stop being a cockblocker in your own relationship?
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> Me
> 
> _________________________________________________________________________
> 
> Kudos = Potstickers  
> Comments = Club Soda
> 
> Leave me some if you liked what you read! :)
> 
> If you like the story, don’t forget to Subscribe and Bookmark it, you’ll get a notification whenever there’s a new chapter.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winn drove her to China Town, because why not? Even though he was nine years older than her—she came to learn while they were reading their fortune cookies—Kara had never felt this comfortable around a stranger. It felt as if she had known him… For years.
> 
> Winn's jokes were natural. He had the funniest things to say, making her laugh without much effort. Like her, he was a foodie. By the time they had to leave, they had exchanged numbers and added each other on Twitter. And planned their next food adventure – Burgers.
> 
> He also walked her to the safe house and only left when he saw Mike there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hold on tight, this one's gonna be a ride!

"Oh, here! This is for you." Kara showed Winn the paper bag that had the muffin in it.

"Thanks, Kara! Strawberry muffin is my favorite," he said with a big smile.

As Winn drove them to the safe house, Kara noticed he was driving slowly. It was like he was on a leisure ride.

"So…" Winn started. "That was a pretty complicated situation Mike put you in, huh?"

"What do you mean?"

Winn tapped at something in his ear. When Kara leaned closer to see what it was, she noticed a wireless earpiece.

"Didn't mean to but I heard every word of your argument. Mike forgot to turn off his comm. Anyway, I grew up making excuses for my brother, but I don't feel like doing that today. I don't know what kind of argument you were having but it sounded pretty fake."

Kara turned to face Winn in surprise.  _How did he manage to figure that out?_

"He's my baby brother, Kara. The youngest in our family, so we spoilt him rotten... But he never crossed the line, you know?" Winn gave Kara a genuine smile. "From what I gather, you like my brother. You sounded really jealous while talking about Donna."

"I'm sorry, Winn. I know I crossed a line… I should have never brought that up."

"Don't apologize. You're human. And humans get jealous all the time… I just wanted to tell you that Donna and Mike never had that kinda relationship. I'll tell you why… When we first met Donna, it was love at first sight for me. I couldn't think about anything but her. But I knew I was out of her league… Mike and Donna got really close that fall. So much that they were pen pals. I got really jealous when I found out and said some really mean stuff to Mike. The kid I vowed to protect… I hurt him so bad. Things got out of hand and before I knew it, he was applying for the Academy. Even though Mike said he forgave me, I knew he was hurt."

"Mike said Donna was one of the few people who kept in touch with him when he went to the Academy."

"That's right! Doe is a sweetheart." Winn grinned saying that. "She really cared for Mike. But their relationship was more like… a brother and sister's bond. You know what I mean? They both care about each other a lot! I mean, if Donna ever found out that someone hurt Mike, she would probably break their nose. She's protective of the people she loves… The same goes for Mike. And I learnt to live with it. I knew their bond was something that was different than what Donna and I have. I can assure you that they don't have any romantic feelings for each other, that's because Donna is with me." Winn had a straight face as he said that. Then he added, "Only she doesn't know that, yet."

Seeing him grin, Kara burst out laughing. "Will she ever know?"

"Sure! As soon as she gets here, I'm planning on asking her out on a real date… Our relationship is kinda complicated. We are together, but we just don't call each other boyfriend and girlfriend. That's only because Donna needed some time to figure out stuff with her mother and all. But that's a story for another day."

"How did you know I liked Mike?" Kara's voice was low, mostly fearing that Winn's earpiece was on and Mike would be hearing every single word. Little did she know that he really was hearing their conversation, sitting outside her college where his car was still parked.

"Oh, trust me, I know that tone very well. For the record, my brother likes you, too." Winn winked at her. "But he's a stubborn little brat so he won't say it himself."

Kara giggled. "And he calls  _me_  a brat!"

"If he ever gives you a hard time, just let me know… I'll tell Ma."

Kara's smile dropped a little. "I hurt him today… I could see it on his face. He'll probably never forgive me for all that I said earlier."

"Trust me, I know my brother well. He's already forgiven you. He has a big heart." Winn turned to face Kara. "Say, do you like Chinese? Because I know this really good place. They have the best noodles and dumplings!"

Kara's eyes lit up hearing that. "I never say no to Chinese! Let's go!"

* * *

 

Winn drove her to China Town, because why not? Even though he was nine years older than her—she came to learn while they were reading their fortune cookies—Kara had never felt this comfortable around a stranger. It felt as if she had known him… For years.

Winn's jokes were natural. He had the funniest things to say, making her laugh without much effort. Like her, he was a foodie. By the time they had to leave, they had exchanged numbers and added each other on Twitter. And planned their next food adventure – Burgers.

He also walked her to the safe house and only left when he saw Mike there.

Mike didn't greet them. He sat on the couch, drinking some coffee. When Winn was leaving, Mike decided to walk him out.

"So, you heard everything?" Winn asked, walking towards the elevator. "I hope you fix this. I like her! She's good for you."

"Too young, Winn. Drop it!"

"Bro… Don't do this to yourself. It's okay to live. To love… Stop torturing yourself." Winn patted Mike's shoulder before saying, "I'm gonna call Ma and tell her you're moping around. That will get her here within a day!"

"Don't you dare, Winn!"

"Oh, I dare." Winn grinned as he waved his brother goodbye before leaving.

Mike returned to the loft to see Kara pacing the living room. As soon as she saw him, she said, "Look, I know you probably hate me right now and never wanna see me again. You might have even asked to be reassigned, but I—"

"It's okay." Mike said as he walked towards her. "You don't have to apologize."

"How in the world are you so calm, Mike? I know I crossed a line! I had no right to bring Donna up. I mean, I don't even know her!"

"Kara, look at me!" Mike placed his hands on her shoulders and shook her lightly. "The reason I'm so calm is because I had a 30-minute session with my therapist… That's right. I have a shrink. And sometimes I feel like I can't go on without talking to her. It's not because I'm dependent on her or anything. It just feels good to have someone listen to me and not judge me immediately or worry about me too much… I know growing up you didn't really have your parents to sit with you and just talk, but that doesn't mean you can't talk to others. You can talk to me. I will listen. If you have a problem with me being close to my best friend, then tell me. Unless you tell me, I won't know."

"But I have no right to have a problem with who you're close to, Mike." Kara sighed loudly. "I promise it won't happen again. I'm sorry."

Mike rolled his eyes at her. "Stop it, Brat! If you say you're sorry again, I swear I'll end up doing something stupid. Listen, you're stressed. With these death threats, with your mom not being okay with you being here with me, with your play… It's okay. But you need to loosen up. So, go and change into something comfortable. Jeans would be good."

"Why?"

"We're going somewhere. You'll see."

Mike's cryptic answer didn't help, but Kara did as he asked. She put on skinny jeans along with a band t-shirt and pulled a hoodie over her head. Kara tied her hair up in a ponytail but removed her contacts. Glasses were truly the best.

When she was ready, she walked out to see Mike swapping his black jacket for a motorcycle one.

"Where are we going?" Kara asked, but Mike simply smiled and shook his head. Once they got downstairs, she noticed Mike's car was missing. Instead of the car, there stood a motorbike. "Is that yours?" she asked in surprise.

"Sure is!" Mike grabbed a helmet and tossed it at her. Kara grabbed it in time. Once he slipped on his own helmet and zipped his jacket, he told her to climb on.

"Mike, I've never been on a motorbike!"

"Don't worry, it's safe. Just wrap your arms around me, you'll be fine."

Despite his assurance, she was still scared. But she had always been curious about motorbikes so she climbed it and wrapped her arms around Mike.

Mike started the bike and pulled it onto the road. As the breeze hit her face, Kara's hold on Mike's waist tightened. He chuckled heartily.

Mike kept talking all the way to that one place she had never expected him to take her. Sometimes he had to shout because of the traffic. But when Mike finally pulled into the parking lot of a freaking amusement park, Kara's eyes widened.

She got down first and looked around. Mike had probably planned this since it was still afternoon, but it was cloudy. A pleasant weather always helped when going to an amusement park.

This was National City's local amusement park that had been opened when she was ten. Kara had begged her mother to take her, but Cat Grant had an aversion towards such things, saying people died while having fun. That had never stopped Maxwell from taking his daughter to Disneyland or Universal Studios. But she had never been to this place before.

"First time?" Mike asked as they headed to get their tickets.

"To this park, yes. I've been to others. My mom doesn't like amusement parks. She says I could die if something went wrong."

Mike chuckled hearing that. "How about we ask your mother to write a survival guide on life?"

"It would be a best seller!" Kara grinned.

As they entered the park, Kara went to grab a map from the stands nearby.

"Where do you wanna go first?" Mike asked, looking at the map Kara was holding. When she looked up at him with a wicked grin, he gulped.

"Haunted House!"

"Oh shit! No! You little monster, we are going nowhere near that place!" But Mike's protest was unheard as Kara grabbed his arm and dragged him to the Haunted House.

Thanks to Mike's fast pass, they didn't have to wait in a long line. But the ride itself was ten minutes long. By the time they came out, Mike looked positively spooked.

"You know that ghost bride had the hots for you!" Kara teased Mike as she pinched his cheek. "Do you wanna marry her, Gramps?"

Mike snapped out of his daze and grabbed Kara's hand tightly. "Why you little! You're gonna pay for this!" With that, he dragged her to the rollercoaster.

"Mike, no! I have  _never_  been on a rollercoaster! I might throw up!"

"Worth it!" Mike stuck his tongue out playfully as he dragged her off to the giant steel coaster in front of them.

To Kara's horror, they got to sit in the front row. She was screaming even before the first drop. And by the time it was done, she was grabbing onto Mike's hand tightly.

"You okay, Brat?" Mike asked, helping her down the stairs. She looked a bit sick, but she gave him a feeble nod.

"You better feed me, Mike! Food is the only way I will feel better again." She then dragged him off to the nearest stall to get a long churro and a mango slush.

Kara happily shared her churro and slush with Mike as they headed towards the Log Flume next. They came back soaked and decided to ride the Teacups to make sure their clothes were dried before they went on to the next ride.

It was around eight by the time they finished riding a select few rides that were favorites. Ferris Wheel was the last one. Since the park was beautifully lit at night, it had been a pleasant ride.

As they reached the top and Mike was staring out of the window, Kara spoke, "Are you always this good with surprises?"

Mike looked at her with a smile. "I don't know, you tell me."

"I think you are… Thank you, Mike. I had great fun today… I think I forgot what fun was. Meeting you sure fixed that." Kara did something next that surprised both herself and Mike. She leaned closer and kissed Mike on his lips. It was a soft kiss, yet she poured her heart into it. Like she had always wanted to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear Mike,
> 
> Where can I get a guy like you?
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> Me
> 
> _________________________________________________________________________
> 
> I'm super thrilled to see Kara and Winn bond. He was her bestie on the show. Ugh the show! I'm just happy I was able to bring Winn in as the real hero he is! Oh and that date... I WANT THAT TO HAPPEN TO ME SO BAD!!! I hope you guys are liking the story!
> 
> _________________________________________________________________________
> 
> Kudos = Potstickers  
> Comments = Club Soda
> 
> Leave me some if you liked what you read! :)
> 
> If you like the story, don’t forget to Subscribe and Bookmark it, you’ll get a notification whenever there’s a new chapter.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Do you think this," Mike said, gesturing between them, "is good enough?"
> 
> "It's better than that."
> 
> Mike moved closer, towering over her. At this moment, she looked so innocent, so small. And all he wanted to do was protect her.
> 
> "So, you managed to fool No, and he's probably dreaming about a destination wedding and a bunch of kids, because he strikes me as the type who would want a lot of kids…" Mike moved so close that his breath was fanning Kara's head. "That means nothing is… nothing is stopping us."
> 
> "Nope." Kara shook her head. "Nothing is stopping us."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOTNESS ALERT!!!

The ride back home was quiet. Kara was resting her head against Mike's back, holding him tightly.

Not a word was spoken, but a lot was said.

When they got back to the loft, Kara began to remove her hoodie. Her eyes on Mike who was running a hand through his hair and he locked the door behind him.

"So, that was fun," Mike started as he removed his jacket and went to grab a beer. "Winn, Doe and I went to the amusement park two years ago. It was fun… but not like what we had today."

Kara nodded. "I had great fun, Mike. I can't thank you enough."

"Kara… I get that you were upset that I wasn't telling you things. It's just… it's not easy for me to share some things. But you have to know that if I ever keep a secret from you, it's for your own good. My job here is to protect you."

"I didn't mean it," Kara said, moving towards him. "I know I was out of line, but I hated what I did. And for whose benefit? Noah's? I don't want that anymore. I can no longer lie and pretend that you are a jerk. Because you are anything but that! I know I was trying to trick Noah into thinking that what we have… it's not good enough. But that's not true."

"Do you think this," Mike said, gesturing between them, "is good enough?"

"It's better than that."

Mike moved closer, towering over her. At this moment, she looked so innocent, so small. And all he wanted to do was protect her.

"So, you managed to fool No, and he's probably dreaming about a destination wedding and a bunch of kids, because he strikes me as the type who would want a lot of kids…" Mike moved so close that his breath was fanning Kara's head. "That means nothing is… nothing is stopping us."

"Nope." Kara shook her head. "Nothing is stopping us."

With that, they closed the distance between each other in seconds, meeting halfway as their lips touched. Kara threw her arms around Mike's neck, her fingers playing with his hair. Mike, on the other hand, wrapped both his arms around Kara's waist.

As he deepened the kiss, his hand started caressing the small of her back. When his hand finally landed on her butt, Kara gasped in his mouth. Mike smiled against her lips as he slipped his tongue into her mouth. He then guided her towards the couch, all the while kissing her.

Kara decided to be bold as her fingers started unbuttoning his pants. She felt a prominent bulge touching her tummy. Mike cupped her face and kissed her fervently. His fingers caressing her hair. But when he felt her fingers brush against his member, he jumped lightly.

Kara froze, her hands on either side of her head. She looked at Mike in concern before asking, "Are you okay? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, baby. It's all good. You just took me by surprise… I haven't done this in a while."

Seeing Mike sit up, Kara did the same. Here eyes fell on his undone jeans again. Till now it was just Mike making her feel good. It was time for her to return the favor.

She looked at him, asking for his permission silently. When he nodded and lifted his hips, she helped him get the jeans off. Kara then kneeled down in front of him. She knew what she wanted, but Mike was hesitating.

"You don't have to," he assured her.

"But I want to," she whispered as her hand touched the bulge again. Mike once again lifted his hips to get the boxers off. Kara looked at him in wonder. He was big, with thick veins running under the skin. She doubted he would fit inside her.

Mike caressed her hair and then her cheek. "I know what you're thinking. But it  _will_  fit. I'll make sure it does."

Kara gave him a small nod. As she caressed his cock, she felt it swelling in her hands. It was getting bigger! Her eyes widened at the sight but before she could change her mind, she lowered her lips over the head. Mike closed his eyes as she began to suck. His fingers carelessly playing with her hair. When she took him in deep, he opened his eyes to see she was gagging. Mike moved her head away and said, "Easy, baby. Take it slow."

Kara did as Mike said and slowly a rhythm began. And before he knew it, Mike shut his eyes tightly, telling Kara to stop because he was going to come. But she was stubborn as always as she sucked him some more. When all his control slipped away, he came with a cry. Kara took it all. She drank every last drop and when she finally pulled away, she took a long breath.

There were some of his traces left on her lips. Mike thumbed her lips and slipped his thumb into her mouth when she opened it. He then closed the distance by kissing her slowly.

"It's my turn, babe." Mike breathed against Kara's cheek as he lifted her in his arms. He got rid of his t-shirt and began to undress Kara as well. When she was finally naked, he pulled her into his lap. "Look you at… You are exquisite!"

Kara reddened when she felt him brush his fingers against her nipples. They had hardened when the cold air hit her as Mike undressed her.

Mike pinched her nipples and bent his head down to take one in his mouth. Kara lowered her head over his and hugged him tightly. The man was making her go crazy. He was setting every inch of her skin on fire.

Mike tugged on her nipple with his teeth as he pinched her other rose bud. Kara let out a heated moan.

"You sure about this?" Mike asked before he started sucking on her breast.

"Yesss…"

Kara gasped when she felt Mike's fingers slipping into her sex. He kept a steady phase as he pumped his fingers into her. When she finally came with a loud moan, he lifted her off him and carried her to the bed.

Mike then left Kara alone on the bed to go fetch the condom from his wallet. After last time, he didn't want to be caught off guard.

When he returned, he saw Kara sitting up, with her arms wrapped around her body.

"Cold?" Mike asked, as he made his way to the bed.

"It's kinda chilly!" Kara opened her arms out to hug Mike.

He hugged her back before kissing her cheek and going all the way down to her neck, peppering her with small, soft kisses.

Kara watched him keenly as he sat up and started thumbing her clit again. She clutched the sheets when his lips touched her sex.

Mike's tongue felt warm against her. Kara started wriggling when it got too much. So Mike hand to place a hand on her stomach to keep her down.

Then he finally sat up and took the condom from the side table. Kara watched him as he slipped it on and positioned himself between her legs.

"Are you ready?" he asked Kara as the head touched her sex.

She gave him a small nod. Kara then held onto Mike's arms as he slipped into her. Her eyes widened and she cried out in pain when he slipped inside her.

Mike leaned closer and brushed the hair out of her eyes and caressed her cheek. "It's okay, babe… I know it hurts, but it will get better." Mike wasn't moving. He wanted her to get comfortable with the feeling before he could start moving.

Kara eventually felt better and told him she was ready. What started off as slow and thrusts became faster, shorter ones as Mike plunged into her deep.

Her sweet little moans encouraged him to keep moving. But he did lean closer to kiss her. Kara kissed him back as if her life depended on it. Then she could no longer control herself.

"Mike, slow down… I'm coming…" Kara breathed against his lips.

Mike kept pounding into her, not listening to her plea. And then she finally came with a loud sigh. Mike still continued to thrust into her. But he found his release a few minutes later.

He collapsed, not caring if he was too heavy to be lying over her. Kara snuggled into him, holding him tightly.

They lay like that for a while. Mike then got up and helped Kara up.

"Let's take a shower. You'll sleep better." He kissed her on her head as she hugged him. "You did great, brat!"

"Mmm…"

* * *

 

Kara woke up the next morning feeling a bit sore but also well rested. It was Thursday! She was going to see her dad today. Kara smiled as she sat up. Mike wasn't in bed. She started looking around frantically. He couldn't have just left, could he?

She got out of the bed and wrapped the sheet around her as she made her way into the living room. Mike stood in the balcony talking to someone. He sounded worried.

"I don't know, I thought it was her… Yeah, I remember a face when I see one, John… But for how long? Look, I'm not saying we run into trouble, but if we keep running away from it, trying to avoid it, that's all we'll be doing… running. Our entire life! Okay, fine. I'll do that… Yeah, I'll talk to you later."

Mike cut the call and turned around. "Oh, you're up. Good! Why don't you get ready quickly so we can go grab some breakfast before I drop you off at college? Teagan sent me an email earlier. We have a flight to catch at 3PM, so we might have to go straight to the airport from college. Why don't you pack your stuff so I can keep the bag in my car?"

"Sure. I'll do that." Kara turned away and headed straight to the bathroom. Mike hadn't said a single word about last night. He was all business so early in the morning. Maybe last night didn't mean anything for him. Dejected, she let out a loud sigh and went to get changed.

She didn't really feel like having breakfast, so she asked Mike to just drop her at the college. He gave her a weird look but didn't argue.

Once Mike had dropped Kara, he turned to see if his colleague was on guard again. Seeing as he was, Mike drove straight to his home to go pick Winn up, so they could have breakfast together before going to meet their boss.

As Kara walked into the theater, she knew Noah was staring at her. At first everyone looked at her, they were still getting used to seeing her as a brunette, but only one gaze lingered for a long time.

Kara was a bit upset, but she tried to put herself in Mike's shoes. There was someone out there who had it out for her. And Mike's job was to keep her safe. It was a stressful job. She knew if something happened to her, Mike could end up getting fired. But that wasn't the worst part. Her mother would rip him apart with her bare hands. Kara shrugged just thinking about her mother.

She decided to focus on the practice now and then getting to LA. She couldn't wait to see her father again.

But just when it was time for Kara to wrap up and leave, Noah stopped her. He wanted to talk to her and all Kara wanted to do was to run away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I recreated that Valentine's day scene! But damn, I loved this so much. Hope you guys enjoyed reading it too. Now you know why E rating is necessary! ;)
> 
> _________________________________________________________________________
> 
> Kudos = Potstickers  
> Comments = Club Soda
> 
> Leave me some if you liked what you read! :)
> 
> If you like the story, don’t forget to Subscribe and Bookmark it, you’ll get a notification whenever there’s a new chapter.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There were pictures of the Mission Possible 3 premiere in the entertainment section. She had been expecting a picture of her dad and his new bimbo, but it turned out to be one of her and Mike's. They looked good together, she had to give them that. The second one was a picture of her father and Teagan. The caption made Kara smile. Whoever wrote this was rooting for Maxwell and Teagan, like her.
> 
> There was also a little picture of her mother in the corner and above it was a bold headline that read 'Is Cat Grant jealous of Maxwell Lord-Danvers and his assistant's closeness?'
> 
> Her mother had answered the question much to Kara's surprise. 'Teagan Lee is a kind, mature and successful woman. Maxwell is lucky if she's even remotely interested in him. He does need someone who can ground him, not like those brainless bimbos he dates.'

Kara and Noah walked out together. He was asking her if she was still going to see her father.

"Oh yeah. The trip is still on," Kara replied. "Mike and I have to catch a flight in few hours. But I'm starving so we'll probably grab something to eat before we head to the airport."

Noah's smile fell hearing that. "Mike? He's still going with you?"

Kara nodded. "Yeah. He managed to get half a day off today… And I was wrong about him."

"How so?"

"Noah… Mike is older than me. He's mature and… he is always trying to protect me. We had a misunderstanding, and I didn't listen to what he had to say. I know what we have is… kinda new. And I got jealous of his closeness with his best friend. The same best friend who's like a sister to him… I think I'm lucky that I have Mike in my life. If something were to happen to him, I don't think I could ever love somebody again."

"So you love him? You love Mike?" Noah's voice was low, disappointment evident in his tone.

Kara noticed Mike's car pulling outside the gates. She turned to Noah with a bright smile. "I think I do." With that, she said goodbye to Noah and ran to the car.

"Hiya, brat!" Mike greeted her with a small salute. "Got this for you. Figured you'd be starving!"

As Kara took a seat, Mike handed her a paper bag. Inside the bag was a big burger and curly fries. A large coke sat next to her. Mike took a sip from it.

Kara grinned at him. "Thanks, Gramps! I had some cookies and an apple juice at break. But I was really hungry. What are you, a psychic or something?"

Mike started driving the car as he shrugged. "No, I just know you well." He then turned to wink at her.

"Hey! Don't act as if I'm not here," came a loud voice from the back that made Kara jump. She turned around quickly to see Winn sitting there eating a burger of his own. "Hi there, Kara!"

"Winn? Hey! What are you doing here?"

"I'm supposed to be dropping you two off at the airport," Winn replied. "But since I'm kinda busy, Mike is driving… Do you want some chicken nuggets?"

Kara happily took the small box of nuggets from Winn, grinning at him all the while. "Thanks, Winn!" She then turned to face Mike. "You aren't eating?"

"I had a big breakfast," Mike replied. "Winn isn't human. Food is like air for him. He breathes it! And I don't think I can really eat while driving."

Kara giggled before taking a nugget and holding it in front of Mike, right in front of his mouth. Mike gave her an odd look before he took a bite of the nugget. "Thanks," he muttered with a mouthful.

Winn chuckled in the back before he took another fry and waved it in front of Mike. But his brother didn't eat that. "Bro, I can't believe you would do this to me! You chose Kara's nugget over my fry! MY FRY!"

"Shut up, Winn! I'm driving!"

Kara turned to see Winn pouting. "He forgets that I'm his  _older_  brother."

"Ma's not here, Winny. I can say whatever the fuck I want. So suck it up!"

Kara giggled listening to the brothers' banter. It was fun to be around these two. She hoped that even after they caught whoever was after her, she got to be friends with Mike and Winn.

By the time they reached the airport, Kara and Winn had finished eating. Winn stepped out and hugged his brother. When he held his hand out for Kara to shake, she shook her head and hugged him instead. Winn gave her a big smile as he hugged her back and told her to call him if Mike misbehaved so he could complain to their mother.

Once Mike and Kara headed off to the terminal, Winn waved them goodbye and drove off.

Unlike last time, no one paid attention to Kara. Mike even had a baseball cap the entire time, so they went unnoticed. Kara felt good. There was a new sense of freedom as she walked past so many people and not a single person glanced at her more than once.

There was no First Class on their short-haul flight, so Teagan had booked Business Class for them. Mike kept joking that he was getting pampered by getting to sit in such good seats. When the air stewardess came to introduce herself and asked them what they would like to drink, Mike decided to break the rule by asking for a glass of champagne, albeit non-alcoholic, since Kara was drinking the same.

"I've had wine before, you know?" Kara asked when their drinks were served and she was taking a sip.

Mike simply smiled. He paid for the in-flight Wi-Fi and began to message his boss. Kara didn't disturb him. She simply picked up a magazine and began to read it. Her eyes widened when she noticed familiar faces.

There were pictures of the Mission Possible 3 premiere in the entertainment section. She had been expecting a picture of her dad and his new bimbo, but it turned out to be one of her and Mike's. They looked good together, she had to give them that. The second one was a picture of her father and Teagan. The caption made Kara smile. Whoever wrote this was rooting for Maxwell and Teagan, like her.

There was also a little picture of her mother in the corner and above it was a bold headline that read  **'Is Cat Grant jealous of Maxwell Lord-Danvers and his assistant's closeness?'**

Her mother had answered the question much to Kara's surprise.  _'Teagan Lee is a kind, mature and successful woman. Maxwell is lucky if she's even remotely interested in him. He does need someone who can ground him, not like those brainless bimbos he dates.'_

Kara giggled reading that. Trust her mother to openly call her dad's girlfriends brainless bimbos.

There were some more pictures, but the one that made Kara stop flipping the pages was the one of Mike's sister-in-law. Her dress was the prettiest in all of the premiere and she carried herself with such grace. All Kara managed to read was how Diana's dress reminded people of Valentine's Day roses.

Kara was soon interrupted by Mike who took her magazine away and said, "So, I got a message from Teagan telling me that your dad is going to surprise you tomorrow by taking you to the freaking Conjuring set. As you already know, I can't let you go there alone. But since you Lord-Danvers want to torture me, I'm just gonna play along… No funny business, brat!"

Kara gave him a grin that reminded him of a cat that ate the canary. She had something in mind. He won't let her get away with it this time. He would do something before she could attack.

* * *

 

The rest of the flight was spent with them talking about their favorite movies and TV shows. Kara wasn't surprised when Mike didn't mention even a single horror. He really had something against that genre.

Once they had landed and stepped out, a car was waiting for them. Maxwell had sent his car along with his driver to pick Kara and Mike up at the airport. Since Maxwell's filming was taking place in the city, her dad was staying in Beverly Hills.

This was the place Kara had spent many summers with her father. This was her second home. She smiled when the car pulled into the driveway. Giles and Nancy were waiting to greet them, along with the two maids who worked here.

They all looked at her strangely when she stepped out of the car. The same expression Maxwell's driver had given her at the airport. Then it struck Kara. It was her hair! She looked different than before.

She greeted the staff and walked into the house, not before turning around to see if Mike was following her.

Mike was looking around the place. The house was much like Maxwell's Malibu one, except it was bigger. There was a swimming pool right in front of the house. It was modern, très chic, but a little homely. Mike's eyes then fell on the staff. Nancy gave him a bright smile as she greeted him. Giles was trying his hardest not to frown at Mike. The other two were the maids. The older one, who was around Nancy's age, greeted him with a polite nod. The other one, who was probably around his age, gave him a flirty smile. It was good that Kara hadn't noticed it, she would be jealous for sure.

Mike knew this people. His boss had sent him detailed background checks on all of them, including the driver. Kara's safety was their priority; they couldn't risk having one of the staff turning on her.

"Giles," Kara called as she walked in with Mike. "Please keep my bags in my room and Mr. Matthews' bag in the guest room next to mine."

Giles didn't seem too pleased, but he simply nodded and said, "Very well, Miss."

"Miss Kara," Nancy called after Kara as she was going upstairs. "Your father wanted me to inform you that you would be dining with him out tonight. He also said he won't be coming home before dinner."

"Thanks, Nancy! I'll call Tea and ask her what's the plan." Kara smiled politely and headed upstairs. But she didn't go into her room. She simply pointed at it so Mike could go check it first.

"All clear," Mike said, walking out of the room. "I'll let you get settled in. Talk to Teagan and let me know where to meet them okay? Once we get there, I'll drop you off and say close by. Text me when you're ready to leave, I'll be waiting near the entrance."

"Wait." Kara reached out to grab Mike's arm. "What do you mean by drop me off? You're having dinner with us, Mike!"

"Kara, thanks, but I think you should spend some time with your dad. I'll only be getting in the way."

"Teagan's going to be there, you know that, right? And my dad has told me that he wants to dine with both of us… He likes you enough to do that, Mike. And he never invites anyone to the sets, well, except for Tea and me… Please, come with me. You're a dear friend of our family now."

Mike considered her words. She honestly wanted him to come along. And he didn't want to disrespect Maxwell by not going.

"Fine. I'll come with you," Mike said with a small smile.

"Yay!" Kara cheered as she threw her arms around his neck.

Mike chuckled and patted her back. From the corner of his eye, he noticed the younger maid, Sally, watching them. Disappointment evident in her eyes. Mike pulled away and took Kara's hand in his and led her to her room. He closed the door behind them and locked it.

Kara looked at him weirdly. "Why are you locking the door, Mike?"

"Say, the maid, Sally, does she get along with you?"

Kara shrugged. "She's on been here for the past two years. We don't really talk. Why?"

"Don't get jealous, please." Mike took a seat on the bed. "She gave me a flirty smile when we arrived. I chose to ignore that. But while we were hugging just now, I saw her looking at us. She didn't seem too happy."

"Do you think she's—"

"I don't really doubt people unless absolutely necessary," Mike said. "We did a background check on all your parents' staff. I know there's nothing to worry about, but right now things aren't looking good. We can't really trust anyone."

"What should we do then?"

"We don't come back after dinner."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mike was only worried for her safety, guys! He might also have some feelings! ;)
> 
> _________________________________________________________________________
> 
> Kudos = Potstickers  
> Comments = Club Soda
> 
> Leave me some if you liked what you read! :)
> 
> If you like the story, don’t forget to Subscribe and Bookmark it, you’ll get a notification whenever there’s a new chapter.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sally led her deeper into the house and they finally reached the kitchen that was in the back of the house. Nancy wasn't there when they got to the kitchen. So Mike began to look around.
> 
> "I don't know where Nancy is," Sally said. "But is there anything you would like to eat or drink? I could make you something… Anything. You just need to ask."
> 
> "No, that's okay. I'll just wait for Nancy." Mike recognized that tone of voice all too well. The woman wanted his attention. Her tone got flirtier as she spoke.
> 
> "Please, Mr. Matthews, you are our guest. I would very much like to serve you anyway I could."
> 
> "Then how about you stop flirting with my boyfriend and actually think about getting some work done?" a voice came from the doorway and they turned around to see Kara standing there with her arms folded across her chest.

Kara took a seat next to Mike. She didn't know what he was trying to say.

"You mean, leave LA after dinner?"

Mike shook his head. "Kara, no. Do you know how many strings I had to pull to convince my boss to let us come to LA? Way too many! I really want you to spend time with your dad. What I want is for us to stay back at the hotel we are dining in or some other hotel."

"Oh! You mean, not come back to this place?"

"Yeah. Safer to keep you at a hotel that has a lot of CCTV. And… safer if I stay with you in the same room." Mike tried to keep a serious face as he said that. But when he saw Kara blush and smile, he let out a small chuckle.

"I'm sure Dad will be okay with us staying at the hotel." Kara stood up. "I'll call Tea now."

"I'm guessing we have an hour before the driver picks us up again?" Mike checked his wristwatch. A small yawn escaped his mouth.

"Are you feeling sleepy?" Kara asked, stopping herself from calling Teagan.

"A little. It's okay. I'll just go ask Nancy some coffee."

"Mike, why don't you take a nap? If you're so worried, I'll stay in this room. You can sleep here. I'll lock the door, too." Kara tugged on his arm. "Please. Take a nap."

"Don't worry. I'll sleep at night." Mike headed towards the door. "I really need that coffee."

Kara gave him a small nod as she called Teagan. Mike waved to her and left the room, closing the door behind himself.

Mike walked out of the room and went downstairs. Getting to the living room was easy, the rest of the house was a maze. He had no idea where the kitchen was. Even Giles wasn't there for him to ask directions. Mike went by instincts and made his way towards what he assumed where a kitchen would be.

Just then, the younger maid, Sally came out of a room. She looked surprised to see him here, but she schooled her expression and gave him a smile.

"Mr. Matthews, is there anything I can help you with?"

"Oh, no. I was just looking for Nancy. Trying to find the kitchen."

"Why don't you follow me? I'll show you the way."

Mike shrugged. "Sure. Thanks."

Sally led her deeper into the house and they finally reached the kitchen that was in the back of the house. Nancy wasn't there when they got to the kitchen. So Mike began to look around.

"I don't know where Nancy is," Sally said. "But is there anything you would like to eat or drink? I could make you something… Anything. You just need to ask."

"No, that's okay. I'll just wait for Nancy." Mike recognized that tone of voice all too well. The woman wanted his attention. Her tone got flirtier as she spoke.

"Please, Mr. Matthews, you are our guest. I would very much like to serve you anyway I could."

"Then how about you stop flirting with my boyfriend and actually think about getting some work done?" a voice came from the doorway and they turned around to see Kara standing there with her arms folded across her chest.

Nancy and Giles had just walked in after Kara. Giles seemed shocked by Kara's words. By since he was the head of the staff, he had to do something about Sally.

"Sally, go clean the gym room," Giles spoke, walking in. "Nancy, would you kindly attend to our guest and Miss Kara? I would like to have a word with Sally alone."

The young maid made a face as she ran out of the kitchen, followed by Giles. The man was stern with the staff. Sally knew she had to tolerate his long lecture now.

"Are you okay?" Kara asked Mike once Sally and Giles had left the room.

He gave her a small nod and muttered, "I think I'll go take that nap. My head is killing me."

"Mike, what happened? Aren't you feeling well?" Kara touched his forehead to see if he had a fever; but he didn't.

"I can make you some strong coffee," Nancy offered. "We have painkillers. You should take one."

"Yes, that would be good," Kara replied on Mike's behalf. "I'll go get that painkiller."

* * *

Almost an hour later, a nap, a strong cup of coffee and a painkiller had done their job. Mike woke up feeling much better. But the pain still lingered, so he did that one thing he knew that would help him feel better.

He didn't dress up usually, but since they were having dinner at some posh restaurant, he didn't have a choice. Mike wore dark jeans with a dark blue button-down shirt and a black jacket over it. Once he was ready, he went to Kara's room and knocked the door.

"Kara, you ready?"

"Just a minute!" she called from the other side of the door. Mike opened the door and walked in to see that she was standing in front of the mirror, putting on some makeup.

Kara wore a beautiful black, off shoulder, cocktail dress. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun. And the one thing that Mike couldn't take his eyes off was her bare back. She hadn't zipped up her dress yet.

"Mike," Kara called, making him snap out of his thoughts and move towards her. "Can you zip me up, please?"

"Sure!" Mike couldn't stop himself from running his fingers over her back. Kara shivered when his cold fingers touched her back. As he zipped her up, he leaned closer and placed a soft kiss on her neck.

Kara had closed her eyes when Mike touched her. When she opened them again, she noticed he looked different. Her eyes widened when she noticed Mike wore glasses.

His glasses were a lot like hers but not as thick or dark. They suited him.

"You're wearing glasses?" Kara asked in surprise. "But you never wear glasses!"

Mike smiled and moved back a little. He was looking at himself in the mirror and fixing his hair. "I don't. But sometimes I need them. I get crazy headaches and glasses help, you know."

Kara looked at him carefully. Even though this was the first time she was seeing him wearing glasses, it felt as if she had seen him like this before.

 _A dream of a dream_ , she thought.

It wasn't Mike she had dreamt of. It was the man who looked just like Mike. Mon-El. She saw glimpses of his life… her life in her dreams. But what she had with Mon-El made her feel like they were some kind of Romeo and Juliet who were struggling to get a happy ending. At least the Mon-El and Kara in her dreams had a chance at happily ever after.

She didn't.

She had a weird feeling that once that person was captured, she would never see Mike again. But she was not ready to say goodbye to him.

"Hey brat!" Mike's voice made her snap out of her thoughts. "We're getting late. We should go!"

"Yeah. Hold on. Let me just grab my jacket!" Kara put on a black jacket over her dress. It was a good thing they came home instead of going to the hotel. She had left some of her clothes here, including the dress and the jacket she wore now. Kara put on a pair of stilettos and followed Mike out of the room.

The driver was waiting for them in the car. Mike carried their bags and put them in the trunk. Teagan had texted him earlier telling him that she had booked them a room in the same hotel they were dining in. It helped since Maxwell's cousin owned it. So, a suite was ready for Kara and Mike.

* * *

It didn't take them too long to reach the hotel. Fairmont Beverly Hills was just like the one they had stayed at Metropolis. That was Fairmont Metropolis. Mike wondered if Maxwell chose to only go to this chain on hotels in particular. It was after Kara had told him that the hotels were owned by her uncle did Mike understand why Maxwell Lord-Danvers preferred them.

A bellboy came to take their bags. Once Mike checked in, they made their way upstairs to their suite. Once again Mike told the bellboy to leaves the bags outside and tipped him. He then went to do a sweep of the room. Once he told Kara it was okay for her to come in, she grabbed their bags and walked in. But Mike quickly took them from her and told her to go choose a room.

Kara didn't know what came over her. She gave Mike a somewhat seductive smile and said, "Why don't we just share a room?"

Mike's eyes narrowed at her. "Why? Are you gonna put on a scary mask at night and scare me?"

"What? No."

"Then you plan on using a small projector to make it look like there's a ghost in the room!"

Kara rolled her eyes at him. "What is wrong with you, Mike? I would never do that."

"Oh! I know… You plan on making me watch another episode of Hill House! And then you'll get spooked and won't be able to sleep, so you want me in bed with you."

"I want to have sex with you!" Kara threw up her arms in defeat. "And for the record,  _you_  are the one who gets spooked by watching Hill House, not me."

Mike's eyes softened hearing what Kara said. "Aw! You wanna fuck me… You're so adorable." He leaned closer to kiss her head.

Kara looked at him in surprise.  _This man was so weird. Why was she in love with him again?_

"We need to get going!" Kara walked out of the room.

Mike followed her quietly. Teagan had just texted Kara and told her that they were at the rooftop restaurant. They made their way upstairs quietly. It was a good thing Kara wore a jacket. It got rather chilly at night here.

Once they got to the restaurant, they saw Teagan and Maxwell immediately. It took Maxwell a split second to recognize Kara. His eyes widened, but he gave her a bright smile as he opened his arms out for her.

"Bean! Look at you!"

"Hi Daddy!" Kara greeted him with a big smile of her own as she went to hug him.

When Maxwell pulled back, he patted her head and turned to face Teagan. "Tea, didn't I tell you she looks just like me? See! Brown hair makes her look like a mini-me!"

"She looks beautiful!" Teagan called. "You aren't beautiful, Max." She then pushed Maxwell away playfully and hugged Kara.

Maxwell then greeted Mike and then they made their way to the table. As soon as they sat down, Maxwell started asking Kara about her rehearsals. He had promised to be there when she was performing that Sunday.

"Will your mother be there too?" Maxwell asked before taking a sip of his champagne.

Kara, who had been in a great mood till now, looked up from the menu card she was reading. Mike immediately noticed the change in her mood and reached out to grab her hand underneath the table. He gave it a light squeeze. Kara looked at him gratefully. She squeezed his hand before saying, "No, Dad. I don't think she will. She's too busy these days."

"Henry Forde." Maxwell rolled his eyes at that. "Who would have thought?"

"It's okay," Kara said. "You'll be there. And I'm sure Tea will be coming with you." Seeing Teagan smile and nod, Kara continued, "And Mike… Don't forget to bring Winn along. He's been dying to meet Dad."

"Who's Winn?" Maxwell asked, his eyes lighting up with interest. After all, Maxwell Lord-Danvers loved meeting new people. Especially fans.

"He's my older brother," Mike answered. "Don't tell him I said this but he's a huge fan of yours. Every time a new movie of yours comes out, Winn drags me to the theater. He was quite jealous that I got to see your movie at a premiere."

Maxwell grinned hearing that. "You hear that, Tea. Looks like I'm about to meet my biggest fan! Do bring him along, Mike. I would love to meet him, too. Hey, why don't I send him an autographed picture of mine? Framed. What do you think? Or I could host a special screening of Mission Possible 3 just for him! Would he like that? Or we—"

"There we go again!" Teagan rolled her eyes and burst out laughing when she saw Kara giggling, as Mike looked at Maxwell in astonishment. Was this man for real?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Halloween is next!!! Also, jealous Kara is so cute!
> 
>  
> 
> _________________________________________________________________________
> 
> Kudos = Potstickers  
> Comments = Club Soda
> 
> Leave me some if you liked what you read! :)
> 
> If you like the story, don’t forget to Subscribe and Bookmark it, you’ll get a notification whenever there’s a new chapter.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Happy Halloween!" Kara said with a bright smile. When she heard a small whistle, she turned to see Mike seated in a chair outside her father's trailer, with a jack-o'-lantern basket of his own, hastily opening a candy wrapper and popping it into his mouth.
> 
> "I fuckin love Halloween!" Mike called, when he saw her staring at him.
> 
> "Are you really going to eat all that?" Kara asked, making her way towards him.
> 
> "It's candy! How can you even ask that question, Brat?"
> 
> "Because that candy can spoil your teeth, Gramps. At your age, you should really pay attention to your teeth. You don't want them falling off, do you?"
> 
> "Why you little!" Mike stood up and placed his candy basket away. Kara's eyes widened. Before he could reach her, she ran. There was no way she was getting caught.

_Halloween._  A day that Kara usually watched through the window as kids from her neighborhood went trick-or-treating. Her mother was strict about her diet and she got to eat candies sometimes, but if she had gotten a high score or done something that earned her a candy, she got a small packet of M&M's.

Kara knew that her mother was only looking out for her. But it didn't change the fact that she loved spending her holidays with her father because he spoilt her to his heart's delight. Maxwell would buy her candies, chocolates and all kinds of sweets. He also insisted on paying the dentist's bill, something Cat never understood why. But that was it. Halloween was Halloween when she was with her dad. Like today, for instance.

Maxwell had invited her to the set of his new movie. It was a spin-off of the Conjuring series, one that focused on a single father and… of course, the Nun.

Kara had only found out about the Nun being in this movie when she saw the scene they were filming. Her father, who was usually dressed in expensive suits or motorcycle jacket, looked rather plain in an old, blue sweater and dark blue jeans. He even wore glasses for this movie.

Now they were taking a break. With people in the set wishing each other Happy Halloween and sharing candies. Kara was not surprised when she received a small basket which was shaped as jack-o'-lantern. Inside were various treats, mostly her favorites; except for M&M's, which she loved the most. Kara knew it was from her father. She was even more surprised when she saw most of the cast and crew with the same basket. Her father had gotten candies for everyone there.

She smiled when couple of extras, who had been filming earlier with her father, came over to wish her Happy Halloween.

"Happy Halloween!" Kara said with a bright smile. When she heard a small whistle, she turned to see Mike seated in a chair outside her father's trailer, with a jack-o'-lantern basket of his own, hastily opening a candy wrapper and popping it into his mouth.

"I fuckin love Halloween!" Mike called, when he saw her staring at him.

"Are you really going to eat all that?" Kara asked, making her way towards him.

"It's candy! How can you even ask that question, Brat?"

"Because that candy can spoil your teeth, Gramps. At your age, you should really pay attention to your teeth. You don't want them falling off, do you?"

"Why you little!" Mike stood up and placed his candy basket away. Kara's eyes widened. Before he could reach her, she ran. There was no way she was getting caught.

Just as she ran towards a set, her mind wandered off to that particular day her mother had lost it when she discovered the candy Maxwell had sent for Halloween.

_Like every year, Kara stood near the window in her living room. The street was lit with lanterns and all kinds of string lights. Kids were wearing colorful costumes as they went trick-or-treating. Her porch light was turned off because her mother didn't want anyone coming here._

_"I don't want anyone ruining their dental hygiene because of me," Cat had said that morning. Her seven-year-old sat eating eggs and toast for breakfast that their cook Anne had made for her. "Sweets and confectioneries cause bad breathe, tooth decay and gum disease. Not to mention all the cavities."_

_Kara lowered her head. "But I just want to see what happens, Mama. I won't take any candies, I promise!"_

_"Keira, how many times do I have to say no?" Cat crossed her arms across her chest. "Now, cut the toast properly. What have I told you about holding the knife? Always be careful with the knife."_

_Kara nodded quietly as she cut the toast with her knife and fork. She then cut a piece of the omelette and placed it over her toast._

_She had always wanted to go trick-or-treating. But her mother refused every time she had asked. Kara gave up. Her mother would never change her mind._

_It was later that evening did she receive a basket full of candies from her father. There was a message written on the card. Anne, who had collected the basket from the courier guy, read it out for Kara._

 

> _My dearest Princess,_
> 
> _I'm so so sorry that I couldn't visit today. I know I promised to spend the entire week with you, but I got a new movie and the shooting started early. Daddy can't wait to see you next month! Forgive me, munchkin. I'm sending a whole basket of treats for you. Don't eat them all at once, okay? I love you so much, my bean! I can't wait to see you!_
> 
> _Lots of love,_
> 
> _Daddy_

_"There! Isn't that nice of him?" Anne asked, handing the card to Kara. "Don't eat them all at once or you won't be able to step a foot out of the bathroom."_

_Kara giggled as she took a candy from the basket and quickly popped it into her mouth. It burst into her mouth like crackers. Kara held it out for Anne to take. The lady thanked her and took a small piece. She loved it as well._

_Just then, a booming noise was heard from the stairs. "KEIRA!"_

_Kara turned around, her smile dropping when she saw her mother march towards her. She paled at the sight of her mother._

_"What is all this, Keira? Anne, did you get these for my daughter?"_

_"No, Ma'am. Kara's father sent them over."_

_Cat fumed as she took the basket from Kara. "How many times do I have to tell you to not eat all these, Keira? Can't you understand few simple words?!"_

_"I'm sorry, Mama." Kara began to sob. "Daddy sent me a present because he couldn't visit. I'm so sorry."_

_Cat straightened her back. "You aren't going to eat any of these. Now, go to your room. Go do your homework or something. Nuh-uh! No arguing, Keira. Go!"_

_Kara ran to her room, furiously wiping the tears off her cheeks. She hated this. She hated how her mother scolded her. She hated how her father didn't visit. She simply hated this day._

* * *

 

Kara let out a sigh. Seven-year-old Kara didn't know how to keep a secret. At least her mother didn't scold her now. Just as she was about to head back to her dad's trailer, she realized she was in a set she hadn't visited before. It was darker than the rest of the sets. And there was literally no person in sight.

"Hello! Anybody there?" Kara made her way towards what looked like a light coming from the corner. This set, it was a house. At least part of a house. And every house had a door. All she had to do was find it.

Just as she made her way towards the light, she saw something move from her peripheral vision. She knew what was happening. She was just imagining things. She had to get out of this place fast. Just as she was about to reach the light, she felt something touch her shoulder. Kara gulped and turned slowly… And then she screamed.

It was the bloody Nun!

The Nun screamed and Kara ran, screaming along. She ran as fast as she could. But the wretched Nun was following her.

Just as she reached the door, Kara felt the Nun speeding and catching up with her.  _How was that woman running so fast wearing those long robes?_

Kara turned around to see the Nun shout again. Something was familiar about her face, but Kara was past caring about that. She wanted to find her father. But as she turned, she ran into another Nun!

"AHHHH!" Kara screamed as she was sandwiched between both the demonic Nuns. She bent down and covered her head with her hands.

Only when one of them burst out laughing did she look up. Mike was removing the hood and laughing his ass off. He fell down, clutching his stomach. The actress who played the real Nun held a hand out for Kara and helped her up.

"Are you alright, dear?" Miss Aarons asked.

But Kara couldn't reply. This woman was scarier in person with all that makeup. Kara gave her a small nod. She then grabbed a fake log made of polystyrene that the Nun was supposed to break and started hitting Mike with it.

"Ouch! Stop it, you mad woman!" Mike shouted, but Kara was in no mood to listen to him.

"How could you, Mike?! And how did you even get that costume and makeup?"

"Guys, what's going on?" Maxwell asked, as he ran towards them.

"Dad! Mike dressed up as the Nun and chased me around the set!" Kara hit Mike one last time and threw the log away.

Maxwell and the others started laughing as Mike pulled himself up.

"Oh my God! Bonnie, you have competition," the director said to Miss Aarons as he patted Mike's shoulder. "Maybe I should cast you as a ghost. What say, huh, Matthews?"

Mike grinned as he threw his arm around Kara's shoulder and said, "I'm Kara's personal ghost, Sir. I'll stick to being that." He then winked at Kara and smacked a loud kiss on her cheek. Just then someone took a picture of them.

Mike grinned as he held Kara in his arms tightly and she was trying to push him away. To make it better, the real Nun joined them. Maxwell rushed to join them as well.

"Hey, Steve! How about posting this and making my casting announcement official?" Maxwell asked the director once Teagan finished taking pictures.

"Of course, Max!" the director grinned as he walked back to the set. "Let's go, Bonnie. You're up next! For real, this time."

Mike chuckled when he saw the others walk away. Kara glared at him and punched his arm.

"What the heck, Mike?"

"Relax, Kid! It was a harmless prank."

"Harmless? Have you seen yourself in a mirror?!" Kara pulled out her phone and took a picture of Mike's face and showed it to him.

"Ahh!" He jumped when he saw it. "Damn! Do I look that scary? Send it to me! I'm making it my Instagram profile pic!"

"You're crazy, Mike!" Kara rolled her eyes at him as she forwarded the picture to him. "And please, wash that scary makeup off before coming closer." She walked away saying that.

"Hey Mike! Let's take a selfie!" Maxwell put his arm around Mike's shoulder and took a picture. Mike pretended to be screaming like the Nun. "This is the best! I'm Instagramming it."

Mike waved Maxwell goodbye and ran to have his makeup cleaned. He had made friends with the makeup team and they decided to give him the Nun's look for Halloween.

Kara sat in her dad's trailer, wondering what her mother would say when she saw the pictures go viral like they always did. Would she laugh? Mike was funny with a rather sarcastic and inappropriate humor. He was sadistic! How dare he scare her like that?

Kara's mind drifted off to that Halloween night she would never forget.

_Little Kara stood watching the kids out of the window. Some of them were laughing and running around. She smiled wondering what that was about. Just then she felt someone join her. She looked up to see it was her mother. Cat pulled a chair and took a seat._

_"This is stupid," Cat said, rolling her eyes at the older kids who were trying to scare the little ones. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I shouldn't have shouted at you."_

_Kara looked up, her eyes widening._

_"I should have explained why I didn't want you eating too much sugar. When I was little, I loved eating candy, too. My Uncle Jeff used to bring us candies for Halloween. It was his favorite holiday. One day we found out Uncle Jeff was at the hospital, because he had a stroke. He used to eat so much sugar that he ended up getting diabetes, which led to the stroke and then eventually… heart failure. He died on this day. On Halloween. The day he loved the most…"_

_"I'm sorry, Mama," Kara said in a low voice._

_"No, honey. I'm sorry for my awful behavior. I shouldn't have gotten mad at you. But that doesn't mean I'm not mad at your father. He did promise to visit you."_

_"It's okay. I'll see Daddy soon."_

_Cat brushed the hair out of Kara's eyes. "My darling girl, I didn't mean to spoil Halloween for you. How about we watch scary movies together? Your father acted in one. He's scary as it is… why does he need that makeup? He's playing a vampire. Ha!"_

_"Daddy's movie? Yes! Let's watch it!" Kara grinned at her mother._

_"Hey! Before we watch that silly movie… here you go." Cat held a small pack of M &M's. "This is my favorite candy. I'm sure eating a little won't kill us."_

_Kara giggled. "No, Mama. It won't. Thank you!"_

_"No, sweetheart. Thank_ you _for being here. I love you the most!"_

_Kara threw her arms around her mother's shoulders. "I love you, too, Mama!"_

"Brat. Hey Brat! BRAT!"

Kara jumped when she heard Mike yell at her.

"What is it, Mike?" she snapped when she saw him plop on the counter in front of her.

"Whatchu doin'? Daydreaming about me? About me in bed… all naked? Sexy, huh?" Mike winked at her.

Kara had the sudden urge to punch him in the nose.

"Leave me alone, you silly Gramps!"

"Hey! Don't be like that. Look what I got you!" He held a small paper bag in front of her. "If you don't want it, I'll eat it all."

Kara took it from him and looked inside it.  _M &M's._ So many flavors of M&M's!

"Where did you get these?!" Kara demanded. "Dad's basket didn't have even one!"

"Well, I went out and bought everything. There's milk chocolate, peanut butter, crispy, mint crisp, caramel—ooh, my favorite—birthday cake, white chocolate, coffee nut, razzberry and did I say caramel?"

Kara placed the bag away and stood up.

"What's up, brat? Don't like my Halloween treats?"

Instead of replying, Kara jumped at him and threw her arms around his shoulders. "You idiot Gramps!" She buried her face against his neck. "You just made Halloween awesome for me!"

Mike patted her back. "Oh! It's awe and some."

"What?" Kara pulled away from the hug.

"That's how we say it, Kid. Now, come along. FREE FOOD! There are six kinds of sandwiches! And cute Halloween theme food! And POTSTICKERS!"

"I WANT!"

"Let's go then! We should never say no to free food!" Mike threw his arm around her shoulder as Kara slipped her arm around his waist.

"By the way, thanks for the M&M's," Kara said, popping a caramel one into her mouth. "But you still suck for scaring me… Happy Halloween, Gramps."

"Happy Halloween, Brat! I'm gonna dress up as the Nun every night and sneak into your bed and kiss you."

Kara pushed Mike away and started to punch his chest. He grabbed her arms and pulled her closer and hugged her tightly.

"Let me go, you evil Gramps!"

Mike laughed loudly and shook his head. "No, little Brat! You are all mine to haunt! Bwahahaha!"

Just as Kara was about to push Mike away, her phone buzzed. She took it out of her pocket, with Mike peeping over her shoulder, with his hand placed on her head for some reason.

Maxwell had posted the picture they had taken earlier. The one with Maxwell, Kara, Mike and the real Nun. Both the Nun and Mike were making scary faces at Kara, who looked terrified standing between them and Maxwell was making a peace sign standing in front of them. There were two more. One with Kara and Mike standing with others, holding their Halloween baskets and the last was a selfie of Maxwell and Mike, where Mike was pretending to scream like the Nun.

The caption read: 

 

 

> _Look who visited the set of my new movie! My baby girl and our very own #MysteriousMike! He's channeling his inner demonic Nun! Isn't my #FutureSonInLaw amazing? Also, Bonnie is looking lovely as always. Oh, hold on! What are you guys missing? That's right! I'm in the new #Conjuring film! Be ready for the new scare coming very soon. Happy Halloween, folks! (ghost emoji) #Conjuring1983 #Halloween_

 

* * *

 

 

_My dear friend walea23 made this cute LEGO art for this chapter! Look at Mike patting Kara's head! I'm so weak for Karamel! Thanks for this cute artwork, A. Looking forward to seeing more!_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of you read this already, but here we go again! Happy Halloween (in advance)!!!
> 
>  
> 
> _________________________________________________________________________
> 
> Kudos = Potstickers  
> Comments = Club Soda
> 
> Leave me some if you liked what you read! :)
> 
> If you like the story, don’t forget to Subscribe and Bookmark it, you’ll get a notification whenever there’s a new chapter.


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Mike, are you okay?" Kara asked in concern. She made her way towards him and when he looked up, she ran her fingers through his hair.
> 
> Mike gave her a small nod and stood up. "I'm… umm… I'm heading outside for a while. Winn, stay here, please."
> 
> "Why don't you just sit in the car?" Winn handed Mike the car keys. "Talk to her, it will help."
> 
> "Thanks, bro!" Mike patted his brother's shoulder as he walked out of the loft.

They broke the Internet, once again, but Kara didn't know that yet. She was about to find out very soon.

Kara and Mike headed back to the hotel, all the while eating candies, making lame jokes and flirting nonstop. Maxwell and Teagan being in the same car with them didn't really stop them.

Maxwell looked at them in amusement. He also whispered to Teagan that he approved of this and didn't mind if Mysterious Mike became his son-in-law for real.

"Are you sure you want a son-in-law when you date women younger than him?" Teagan asked, much to Maxwell's surprise.

Maxwell shrugged. "If this is about Keelan, then she's history. She misbehaved with Kara… And I want to end up with someone who loves and adores Kara. Even if she can't be a mother to my bean, I want her to be a great friend at the very least." Maxwell's eyes fell on Teagan, who was watching Kara and Mike interact with a pleasant smile on her face. This woman never got his message! He was dying to be with her, but she never showed any interest in him.

When they finally reached the hotel, Kara hugged both Maxwell and Teagan and told them to not forget her play. They promised to be there.

As Kara and Teagan stood saying goodbye to each other, Maxwell decided to have a word with Mike.

"Mike," he called. The young man turned to face him. "There's something I need to tell you. I'm really thankful of all your help with keeping Kara safe. And I know just how much effort you're putting into catching this woman… But if you can, do consider Kara's feelings for you. They are way too obvious. And it would be nice to see her with someone who actually cares about her."

Mike was taken by surprise. Weren't Fathers supposed to chase away any potential boyfriends? Why was Maxwell being so darn understanding?

Mike gave him a small nod. "Sir, I really don't know what's going to happen when we catch this woman. I can't make any promises… But I can assure you that I care about Kara deeply… Mr. Lord-Danvers, I doubt I'm the right person for your daughter. She's too precious for a man like me."

Maxwell gave him an understanding nod. "Very well. Just think about it. No one ever died by just thinking, right?" He then waved to Mike and went to hug his daughter one last time.

Once Maxwell and Teagan left, Kara and Mike headed upstairs to pack their stuff. They had a flight to catch soon.

Kara noticed that Mike put on his glasses as soon as he got to the room. They had slept in the same bed last night, but Mike didn't touch her. He had taken some pills for the headache and fallen asleep.

He talked in his sleep again. It was the same thing.  _Rhea._ Just that woman… Whoever she was, she had left a mark on Mike's life. Kara didn't know why but she felt a sinking feeling in her stomach every time she heard Mike say that name.

He had mentioned he watched the whole thing. Maybe if she googled it, she could find that movie and see just how bad it was? Maybe.

Mike did look better today, but maybe he just liked Halloween that much. Kara couldn't believe how Mike scared her dressed as the Nun. When they were heading to the airport, she asked him, "Just how did you get the Nun's costume, Mike? And that makeup?"

Mike grinned at her question. "Oh, I became friends with the makeup artists! They were doing face paintings for everyone on the set, for Halloween. They offered to do that for me, and I just took their offer. It wasn't like the real Nun though, because they had to paint my face fast, so I could put on the costume and go after you."

Mike seemed proud by his little prank. He had even made the picture of the two of them at the Conjuring set his phone wallpaper. Only it could have been a romantic gesture if Mike wasn't dressed as a demonic Nun and Kara wasn't terrified.

As they reached the airport and were checking in, Kara went first as usual. Mike had to show his gun license and other papers. It still surprised Kara how easily he carried a gun and no one ever knew.

As she waited for Mike to check-in and join her, Kara decided to check her Twitter to see if there were any updates on her mother. But the second she opened it, she noticed a whole bunch of tweets on her timeline that she had missed earlier.

 

> **Teagan Lee**  @TeaganLee 1d
> 
> Dinner with the fam is always a great way to celebrate #HalloweenEve!
> 
>  
> 
> **CatCo**  @CatCoMagazine 1d
> 
> Exclusive: Kara Danvers and her boyfriend Mike Matthews are official, and serious relationship goals! The couple dined with Maxwell Lord-Danvers and his close friend and assistant, Teagan Lee at Fairmont Beverly Hills. Check out the full article and the pictures here. CatCoMagazine.com/article/…
> 
>  
> 
> **National City Daily**  @NCDaily 21h
> 
> Breaking News! Cat Grant and actor Henry Forde make their red carpet debut as a couple. We are happy to break this news! The couple walked the red carpet at Henry Forde's sci-fi/thriller premiere of #Paranoiac.
> 
>  
> 
> **CatCo**  @CatCoMagazine 21h
> 
> Exclusive: Cat Grant and Henry Forde walked the red carpet of the Metropolis premiere of Forde's new thriller #Paranoiac. The couple has been reportedly dating for about a year. But they were first seen together 16 years ago. They have rekindled their romance and have made it red carpet official. Check out the full article and the pictures here. CatCoMagazine.com/article/…
> 
>  
> 
> **Maxwell Lord-Danvers**  @MaxwellLordDanvers 3h
> 
> A new haunting begins soon. #Conjuring1983 #AllHallowsEve
> 
>  
> 
> **CHASE @** CHACEMag 3h
> 
> Maxwell Lord-Danvers announces his next project on Halloween! #Conjuring1983 has caught our attention, but what we love more is the appearance of #MysteriousMike on the sets where he was dressed up as The Nun for Halloween. His girlfriend sure looked scared. Kara, is Mike going to haunt your dreams now?
> 
>  
> 
> **CatCo**  @CatCoMagazine 2h
> 
> Maxwell Lord-Danvers hinted at Mike Matthews being his future son-in-law on Instagram with a witty caption that also announced his new role in the #Conjuring series! Things are getting serious here. We wonder what Cat thinks about this! Does Kara have her mother's approval?
> 
>  
> 
> **CHASE @** CHACEMag 30m
> 
> Cat Grant and her daughter Kara Danvers are breaking the Internet with public appearances with their boyfriends. Cat Grant was seen at the premiere of her boyfriend Henry Forde's movie #Paranoiac. Kara Danvers was seen with #MysteriousMike having dinner with her father and at the set of his new film. We are rooting for these two couples!
> 
>  
> 
> **Maxwell Lord-Danvers**  @MaxwellLordDanvers 20m
> 
> My little bean came to visit the sets of my new horror flick. Fun fact: Kara and I LOVE horror movies! Sadly I can't say the same about our #MysteriousMike. But the guy has a great sense of humor. Dressed up as the Nun and chased my little girl around the sets. He's a keeper, I'm telling ya! Best #Halloween ever!
> 
>  
> 
> **Noah**  @noahdelaneywrites 17m
> 
> Spending Halloween alone at home watching Haunting of Hill House. Wish I was somewhere else… #NotSoHappyHalloween
> 
>  
> 
> **Winn @** WinnNotSoSlow 12m
> 
> I can't believe my baby brother is a demonic nun! How am I supposed to break this news to our mother? On a happier note, met Kara. She's an absolute sweetheart! Can't wait for our next food adventure. #HappyHalloween
> 
>  
> 
> **Winn @** WinnNotSoSlow 7m
> 
> Watching #HauntingofHillHouse and damn! This is one awesome show! What's in that Red Room? Can't wait to see what happens next!
> 
>  

"Kara, we're ready to go," Mike said, joining her. "What are you reading?"

"Tweets. Your brother is watching Hill House."

"Alone? That's hard to believe. He never watches horror alone."

Kara frowned lightly. "Do you watch it with him? I thought you hated horror."

"Well, when he watches horror, I'm in the same room; but I watch something else on my laptop or nap on the couch. All Winn needs is another human in the room."

"I guess I could invite him over to watch Hill House. After all, you don't wanna watch it with me." Kara smiled when she saw Mike wince lightly.

They boarded the flight quietly; happy that no one was paying attention since Kara also wore a baseball cap like Mike.

When they reached National City, Winn was waiting for them. He greeted them both with a hug and told them that he had ordered Chinese. It would reach the loft by the time they reached the place.

Mike had asked Kara to sit in the front. His head was hurting again and he just wanted to rest till they got home.

Kara had no problem sitting in the front with Winn. They ended up talking about Hill House and discussing the episodes they had watched. Mike had dozed off in the backseat.

* * *

 

By the time they reached the safe house, Mike had taken a much needed nap. The food hadn't arrive yet, so Kara excused herself and went to change her clothes.

When she returned, she noticed Mike sitting on the couch with his head in his hands.

"Mike, are you okay?" Kara asked in concern. She made her way towards him and when he looked up, she ran her fingers through his hair.

Mike gave her a small nod and stood up. "I'm… umm… I'm heading outside for a while. Winn, stay here, please."

"Why don't you just sit in the car?" Winn handed Mike the car keys. "Talk to her, it will help."

"Thanks, bro!" Mike patted his brother's shoulder as he walked out of the loft.

"Kara, I'm going to lock the door, for your safety, okay?" Winn said once his brother left.

"Sure, Winn."

But before Winn could do that, the doorbell rang. It wasn't Mike, as Kara had hoped. It was the delivery guy.

Winn paid for their food much to Kara's protests. They decided to wait for Mike to return before they ate their dinner.

"Wanna watch Hill House?" Kara asked before grabbing a can of soda from the fridge and handing over one to Winn.

"Horror! Yes!"

They took a seat on the couch and before Kara could play the episode both her and Winn were on, she turned to him and asked, "Is Mike really okay? He's been having headaches and these weird dreams."

"What dreams?"

"I think it's the same every time. He sleep talks. Keeps taking the name 'Rhea'. When I asked him who she was, he told me that when he was little, he watched something where he saw this woman Rhea. It's like he's being haunted by this dream."

Winn covered his mouth but gave her a small nod. "It's a very bad nightmare Mike gets, Kara. This is also why he gets headaches… Mike used to get sleep paralysis when he was younger. He told us he didn't get one when he was at the AF. So we thought he got better… But his accident just..."

"That's why he talks to his therapist?"

Winn nodded. "It helps him, you know. At first he just began talking to her. We all noticed the changes in him. He was calmer and even braver. Not watching a horror brave, but surviving AF brave. He calls her his guardian angel. And damn right she is!"

"Is the sleep paralysis the reason why Mike doesn't watch horror?"

"Oh God no! That's even worse." Seeing Kara's curious face, Winn added, "It's a real spooky tale. Do you really wanna hear it?"

"Yeah! Totally!"

"Well… This could give  _you_  nightmares. Because it sure spooked Mike a lot. And I slept in my parents' room after this incident. So did Mike. It was very cramped!"

"What really happened, Winn?"

Winn turned to face her with a somewhat anxious expression. "We saw a ghost, Kara."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They saw a ghost!!! Yes, I went there! ;)
> 
> _________________________________________________________________________
> 
> Kudos = Potstickers  
> Comments = Club Soda
> 
> Leave me some if you liked what you read! :)
> 
> If you like the story, don’t forget to Subscribe and Bookmark it, you’ll get a notification whenever there’s a new chapter.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Ugh! I'm so not going to be a small spoon again!"
> 
> "Why? Does it hurt your manly ego?" Kara stuck her tongue out.
> 
> "Ha! Being a small spoon is like having an annoying, human backpack that snores."
> 
> "Human backpack? Oh my God, Mike, what's up with your imagination?"

"A ghost?"

"Yup! A spirit, if you prefer calling it that."

"But how? Where?!"

Winn chuckled lightly. "Calm down. I'll tell you everything!"

"I'm impatient."

"Oh, I figured that out already."

Kara grinned hearing that. When Winn cleared his throat and sat up straight, she turned on the couch to face him completely.

"My uncle, Pa's older brother, he married a heiress and moved out of the town. Pa was just nineteen then. But he's close to his brother, you see… This was around the time Mike was nine. Our uncle lives at a mansion now, with his wife. He's been living there ever since he got married."

"A mansion like Hill House?" Kara's voice was low, borderline nervous.

"Bigger. Older, too. And terrifying!" Winn replied. "So, we went to visit our uncle and his family one summer. They put my brothers and I in one room. It was huge and the bed was enormous, too… Our uncle and his wife gave us a tour of the house and told us not to wander off alone. I mean, who in their right mind would? So, the first night, all three of us were in bed. I was in the middle since Mike kicked during his sleep and Clark, despite being a sound sleeper who could sleep during a thunderstorm, felt the kicks and didn't want Mike next to him… I remember falling asleep quickly that night. But Mike woke me up in the middle of the night to show me something."

"Was it the ghost?"

"Well, it started with lights flickering. And then the whole room went cold… We saw it after that. It was a full-bodied apparition. It was pale. Almost… translucent. And it was a woman wearing a gown… I didn't know what to do. If we ran out of the room, then we would end up in the dimly lit hallway and our parents' room was on the other end of the corridor. So, I told Mike to lie in the middle and pulled the sheets over our heads. We didn't dare to look up and fell asleep just like that. The next morning I told Clark, he thought we were playing a prank. But then we ended up in one of the many lounge rooms after breakfast and there she was… in a huge portrait. It was our aunt's grandmother who died during childbirth. And the room we were staying in was the room where her baby was kept after she died."

"So she came to see her child?"

"I guess… Even if she was harmless, she did leave a bad impression on Mike. He was so frightened, he wouldn't leave Ma's side after that. And he faked a stomachache just so we could return home. He never went back to that mansion again. Come to think of it, he hates going to old places."

"Wow! And I thought he simply didn't like horror movies." Kara turned away and let out a small sigh.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Winn went to get it.

Mike walked in and locked the door behind him. The brothers then talked in a hushed voice. Kara decided to heat up the food while they talked. When she was done, they joined her at the dining table.

Surprisingly, Mike did look a bit better. He gave Kara a grateful smile when she set down the food on the table. Winn went to fetch the plates and grabbed cans of soda on his way back to the table.

Seeing a whole plate of potstickers in front of her, Kara smiled brightly, took one and popped it into her mouth. But when she noticed Winn and Mike weren't eating, she stopped, her mouth full of the potsticker. The boys were saying a prayer with their eyes closed. Mike usually did that, not when they ate fast food. Maybe he did, Kara never noticed.

Once they had finished, they dug into the food in front of them. Winn and Kara chatted animatedly. Mike was quiet, focusing on his food. Whatever was on his mind, Kara was desperate to know.

Winn left after dinner. He hugged his brother and told him to go to bed straight and not to stay up reading stuff on his phone. Mike gave him a small smile before saying goodbye.

When Kara saw that Mike was taking a pillow for the couch, she decided to ask him what was bothering him.

"Are you okay?" Kara asked, going to sit next to Mike on the couch.

He looked at her in surprise. "Of course I am. Why do you ask?"

"I don't know, you've been in a weird mood… You know, you can talk to me. I know I'm not your amazing therapist, but maybe talking to me would help?"

"I'm fine, Kara. Don't worry about me."

"Hey! You can't do that. You can't be there for me when I'm feeling low and not expect the same from me." Kara placed a hand on his arm. "Talk to me, Mike."

Mike let out a loud sigh and nodded. "Fine. You know before we left to LA, we had a not so fake argument outside your college?"

"Don't remind me. I regret it."

Mike smirked. "Of course you do… Anyway, there was a reason why I ran. I saw her… the one who's been sending you those death threats. I saw her face clearly. Of course she ran. But she was there, Kara. And you know what I saw in her face? Hatred and disgust… And for a spilt second, she reminded me of Rhea."

Kara gulped. "Do you think she had come to attack me?"

"No. No, that's not possible. I had the whole place surrounded. We even have a man inside to protect you."

"What? Who?!"

"The newest technician helping with the stage lights. His name is Jacob. I made sure he was assigned to keep an eye on you when you were at the rehearsals."

Kara sat back trying to figure out which one of the technicians was keeping an eye on her. Then it struck her. There was a young man in his late thirties. He had followed her when she went to take her bag and Noah was with her. Jacob had been working on some wiring nearby. Then during her break the next day… she was alone, Jacob ran into her and told her that Miss Sharma was looking for her.

"Did my dad hire your whole team to protect me or something?" Kara asked incredulously.

Mike burst out laughing. "Or something…"

Kara stood up and took the pillow from the couch. "You know, at first I was scared of this woman. I was scared that she would kill me… Not anymore. If death comes, we have to accept it. I know there will be some people who will miss me, but what's the point of risking so many lives to protect my own? If something happened to anyone because of me… if something happened to  _you_  because of me, I'll never forgive myself."

"Hey Brat! Since when did you get so brave?"

"I learnt from a certain Veteran that life is short and if we live each day with the fear of dying… then we are never gonna enjoy living!"

Mike smiled hearing that. He stood up and patted her head. "You know, I'm gonna miss you when all this ends."

"You don't have to. You just don't have to say goodbye. Then there won't be any missing." Kara moved closer and wrapped her arms around Mike's waist. She rested her head against his chest. "Winn told me you saw a ghost, that's why you hate horror."

Mike had one hand on Kara's back, but clenched the other in a fist. "That little—"

"Hey! I was persistent. I wanted to know why you don't watch horror. And Winn just told me the truth."

"That doesn't mean I won't put on the Nun's makeup and scare you at night."

"Don't you dare!" Kara moved out of his embrace and looked around. "Do you have that costume here?"

Mike chuckled. "Relax, Kid. They wouldn't let me take the costume home. But they did tell me I can order one online."

"Don't even think about it, Gramps! Anyway, sleep on the bed. How many times do I have to tell you it's okay for us to share a bed?"

"Look, Kara, I know I'm irresistible and you want to have mind-blowing sex with me. And I want that too, but I need to sleep today. My head still hurts."

Kara grabbed the pillow and hit him with it. "Is sex all you can think about?" Kara went to her side of the bed. "We could cuddle."

"Ugh! I'm so not going to be a small spoon again!"

"Why? Does it hurt your manly ego?" Kara stuck her tongue out.

"Ha! Being a small spoon is like having an annoying, human backpack that snores."

"Human backpack? Oh my God, Mike, what's up with your imagination?"

Mike got into the bed, all the while grinning at his own joke. Kara went to change into her pajamas. She came to bed, taking her glasses off and placing them on the side table.

"Are you ready for the play?" Mike asked, as he lay on his back, staring at the ceiling above.

"Not really. I mean, I have all my lines memorized, but I'm no good with the audience. Dad tells me not to focus on them and just enjoy the play. Enjoy how I deliver my lines and act. He says he does that, too."

"Maxwell is a good actor. And I'm not saying that because he's your father. His range is different. He's played so many roles. Different genres. Yet every single one of them feel new… like it's not the same person who's playing the role."

Kara smiled. She turned on her side to face Mike. "Dad says he feels happy telling a story. Acting is his way of telling that story. He's really dedicated when it comes to his work."

"What does he have to say about your mother's new boyfriend? He's an actor, too."

"Yeah. Henry and Dad acted in two movies together. In one of them, Dad played his son… Henry is in his sixties, I think. So yeah, Dad is old enough to be his son! Dad doesn't care about my mom's love life. He normally tries to avoid talking about her."

"Because he's too busy focusing on his own love life?" Mike smirked, looking at Kara.

She smiled and shrugged. "Honestly, I would love seeing my dad with Teagan. She's just so good for him! And Tea's someone I get along with and trust blindly."

"Yeah. She's nice. Way better than that Kleenex girl."

Kara burst out laughing. She buried her face against Mike's shoulder. "Oh God, Mike! Why are you so funny?"

"What? Wasn't that her name?" Mike grinned.

"No! And you know that already."

"Yeah, as if I care!"

"Mike, do you have a type? Because Keelan sure was eyeing you and you barely cared!"

"Umm…"

"Wait, don't answer that." Kara sat up. "Diana. You like women like her, don't you? Confident, classy and mature."

"She's my sister-in-law, Brat. Drop it."

When Kara saw Mike's face reddening, she asked, "You like brunettes?!"

"I'm not gonna bother answering that, you snoring backpack! Go to sleep." Mike turned on his side, facing away from Kara.

She lay down next to him and wrapped her arms around him, spooning him. When Kara heard Mike sigh lightly, she asked, "Is that why you wanted me to color my hair brown?"

"No. I did that to make sure that woman didn't come after you."

"I'm more of your type now, am I?" Kara grinned.

"Go to fucking sleep or I'm going to attack you now!"

"Okay! Sorry!" Kara buried her face against his back. When she felt him turn on his back, she moved away. Mike simply threw his arm around her and pulled her closer. She snuggled against him and closed her eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THESE TWO ARE SO CHEESY AND CUTE! I LOVE IT!!!
> 
>  
> 
> _________________________________________________________________________
> 
> Kudos = Potstickers  
> Comments = Club Soda
> 
> Leave me some if you liked what you read! :)
> 
> If you like the story, don’t forget to Subscribe and Bookmark it, you’ll get a notification whenever there’s a new chapter.


	26. Chapter 26

The orange glow of the sun rays coming through the many windows was what woke Kara up. Mike's face was buried against her chest and his arms were like thick vines wrapped around her.

She pushed him away gently and took her phone from the side table. The clock showed 7:58AM. Kara rubbed her eyes and checked it again. It was really around 8 in the morning and she had to be at the college by 8:30AM sharp.

"Mike!" Kara shouted, nudging his shoulder. "Get up! We are gonna be late!"

"Wha—what?" Mike rubbed his eyes and sat up. "What time is it?"

"It's 8AM! Get your ass off the bed!" Kara ran to the bathroom to brush her teeth and change out of her pajamas.

When she stepped out of the bathroom, she noticed Mike was tugging a sweatshirt on and zipping his jeans.

"What do you want for breakfast?" Mike asked, making his way to the kitchen.

"No time for breakfast! Just get me to my college in time!" Kara grabbed her backpack and hurried towards the door.

Mike grabbed her coat off the rack and threw it at her. "There will be traffic if we take the car."

They stepped out and hurried to the elevator. Once they stepped out of the building, Mike went to his bike and handed Kara her helmet.

"Get on!" He put on his own helmet and started the bike. Kara did just that and wrapped her arms around his waist.

Mike drove like a maniac, almost running a red light. He only slowed down when they were nearing the college.

He usually dropped her off outside the college gates, but this time he decided to drive her all the way to the theater. They reached the college in a record time of 8:23AM. Kara's heart was beating louder than normal. She got down and handed Mike the helmet.

"No. Keep it… Hit No with it if he tries to come close." Mike winked at her before driving away.

Kara smiled brightly as she made her way into the theater.  _How did she fall in love with this man? She had no idea!_

Just as she made her way backstage, she saw Noah waiting for her there. "Ah! Right on time," Noah said. "I thought we could rehearse our dialogues before the actual thing starts."

Kara gave him a weak smile. "Sure! Why not?" She set the helmet aside along with her bag. Her parents had raised her well enough, she wasn't going to hit anyone with that helmet.

It was around ten when Miss Sharma decided to let them take their first break. They were going to rehearse till six in the evening, so the teacher knew her students would need more breaks than usual.

Kara took off her wig and set it aside on the table nearby. She saw Miss Sharma making her way towards her.

"Kara, I just wanted to say that you are doing a great job with your character," the teacher said. "I'm surprised you didn't join a drama school. Your talent clearly lies in acting, you know."

Kara shrugged. "I'm not sure, Miss Sharma. I'm not good with audience. I'm just worried about tomorrow. I don't wanna freak out and bolt."

Miss Sharma chuckled heartily. "You'll do great! If it helps, concentrate on one person sitting in audience when you feel tense. I'm guessing your dad is coming to the play? It would be an honor to have him here!"

"He is!" Kara smiled brightly. "I can't wait for him to see the play. We've all worked so hard."

"You know what? Concentrate on him then. It will help." Miss Sharma patted Kara's shoulder. "By the way, thank you for dyeing your hair. We couldn't find a long wig that would suit you. Natural hair is always the prettiest."

Kara gave her teacher a polite nod. She hadn't colored her hair for the play, but it was a good thing she did. Her character was, after all, a brunette.

Once Miss Sharma had stepped away to talk to another student of hers, Kara went to grab herself something to drink. Just then, Jacob showed up, carrying something in his hands.

"Miss Danvers," he called. "Hi, you must not know me, b—"

"I know you," Kara interrupted him. "You're Jacob. Mike told me about you."

"Oh good! He was here actually. He told me to give you this." Jacob handed her a small paper bag and a cup of coffee. "I overheard your teacher say that you guys will be going to the café across the street for lunch. I'll be there, too. I'll be sitting next to the door. In case I see something, I will hold up the book I'm reading. That's your signal. You need to get under the table and stay there till I tell you it's safe."

"Okay. Thanks. I'll be careful." Kara gave him a small smile and went backstage to see what was in the paper bag. She smiled when she saw sandwiches and a small note with them. She took the note and grinned as she read it.

_Dearest Brat,_

_Ma says that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And I really didn't want you to miss it. I'll be at work all day, so Jake will be the one guarding you today. He must have told you about his signal. Please, listen to him. Don't try to act smart. Just listen to the man. I'll pick you up this evening. If you wanna grab dinner outside, let me know. Don't call me, I'm too busy!_

_Love ya,_

_Gramps_

Kara folded the paper and placed it inside her bag. These were the little treasures Mike was giving her before he left, and she would treasure them.

* * *

 

Meanwhile, Mike had a busy day at work. Winn was checking the CCTV footage of the street where Mike saw that woman. Unfortunately, they couldn't see her face. But the woman did run when she saw someone. And few minutes later, Mike was running down that street.

"She probably had a car waiting for her," James said, zooming the footage. "It does look like the person outside CatCo. Maybe it is her?"

"I'm telling you," Mike started. "I saw her face. It  _is_  her!"

Their boss let out a sigh. "She did escape prison. People like her should be locked up on some remote island!"

"Do we inform Lord-Danvers and Cat Grant?" Winn asked, leaning against the back of his chair.

"Not yet," their boss said and his words seemed final.

Mike ended up checking some more footage with Winn. Then he had some paperwork to take care of. He didn't even have time to grab lunch. But his boss did let him leave at four, so Mike and Winn went to grab something to eat together.

Mike came to the college an hour before Kara came out. He was checking the streets nearby to see if that woman was back. When he found nothing, he went back and waited by the gates. It looked like the students were putting banners up for the play, but he really couldn't see the name of the play. He decided to ask Kara later.

When she finally stepped out, she ran to him and jumped. Mike caught her in time and chuckled as Kara hugged him tightly.

"I didn't disturb you," she said, proudly. "See, I can survive hours without hearing your voice!"

Mike patted the back of her head. His smile fell as he realized that these were just some fleeting moments between them. He pulled away soon and said, "Hey! Winn told me there's this really good Shawarma joint near our place. Wanna go?"

Kara grinned and nodded. "Of course! Do I ever say no to food?"

"You have to wait an hour for it though. And Winn's coming along."

Kara gave Mike a small nod. Not that she didn't enjoy Winn's company. But she really wished it would be just her and Mike.

Dinner was an animated affair. The brothers had the funniest things to say. The food was great as well. They had Shawarmas, Falafels and Fries. And Winn was just fanboying about meeting Maxwell tomorrow.

Winn decided to walk back home after dinner, promising Kara that he wouldn't miss her play for anything in the world. Once Winn left, Mike drove Kara back home.

"God! I'm so full!" She groaned as she walked in, heading straight to the fridge to grab a pint of caramel ice cream.

Mike chuckled, walking in. He grabbed a beer from the fridge before saying, "How don't you get fat? Are you an alien?"

Kara grinned. "I think I might be. But it's just the great genes! Thanks, Mom and Dad!" Kara let out a moan just then, making Mike raise a brow. "This ice cream is heavenly!"

"It looks like you're having an orgasm."

Kara choked on her ice cream and looked at Mike, who sat drinking his beer as if he hadn't just casually talked about her having an orgasm.

Kara decided to play his game. She bit her lower lip and gave him a seductive look before taking another spoonful of ice cream. She let out another moan and made her way towards Mike. He sat on the couch sipping his beer slowly.

Kara climbed his lap and held a spoonful of ice cream for him to take a bite from. Just as Mike was going to take a bite, Kara ate it. She stuck her tongue out playfully.

Mike placed the half empty bottle of the beer away and placed a hand on her nape and pulled her closer. His lips crashed against her and he slid his tongue into her mouth, tasting the ice cream she had just eaten.

He started working on getting her out of her shirt. Her bra was next. Kara placed the ice cream aside and cupped his face, deepening the kiss.

Mike slowly lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist, not before grabbing the ice cream. He carried her to the table and set her on top of it, tugging at her jeans, as he kissed her fervently. When Kara was completely naked, Mike pulled his sweatshirt off as well and gently pushed her back. Kara was now lying on the table, looking at him keenly.

"You're such a tease, Brat!" Mike took the ice cream from her and scooped a spoonful. He ate half of it. And the rest, he placed it on her hardened nipple.

Kara winced when the chill touched her nipple. Mike then covered it with his mouth and sucked the ice cream off her rose bud. He did the same with the other nipple, before setting the ice cream away and trailing his fingers down her thighs. Mike then lifted her legs and perched them over his shoulders. When he saw Kara's pupils dilating, he slipped a finger inside her.

Kara let out a loud moan. "Stop teasing me, Mike! Fuck me!"

Mike leaned down and kissed her loudly before breaking it and speaking against her lips. "Such colorful language… What will your mother say?"

"Mike, stop talking about my mother! Are you going to fuck me or not?"

When she saw him remove his fingers and lick them, she decided that she had enough of his teasing. Kara sat up and pulled his closer, kissing him furiously.

But when Mike felt her touch his cock, he grabbed her hand and broke the kiss. "Brat, safe sex! Did no one teach you that?! I need a condom."

"Go grab one then! I can't wait!"

Mike smirked as he went to grab one from his wallet. "So impatient. We have all the time in the world, you know?"

"Just get  _in_  me, you stupid Gramps!"

"Umm… keep saying that. Keep talking dirty, my beautiful girl!"

"I'm so wet, Mike. Put your cock inside my pussy! NOW!" Kara reddened at her own words.  _When had she become so bold? Her mother would be so ashamed of her._

Mike ran his fingers over her sex. He smiled before saying, "You are so ready for me!" With that, he slid home, making Kara gasp loudly.


	27. Chapter 27

Kara woke up the next morning wrapped in Mike's warmth. She had thought that her first time with him was the best sex ever, but she had been so wrong. Last night was something else altogether. She still felt the sensation on her skin.

Mike had pierced through her skin, her soul, her very being and she craved him. So very much. She didn't want this to end. She wanted to wake up every single morning to Mike sleeping besides her.

That's when she decided. She would tell him how she felt. Tell him that she was in love with him.

But it had to wait. She was already nervous about the play. If Mike didn't feel the same about her, she wouldn't be able to concentrate on her performance. So Kara decided to talk to him after the play.

She got up and went to take a shower. And when she returned, she noticed Mike was still peacefully sleeping.

Kara climbed the bed and leaned over him. Just then he woke up, his eyes widening. When he saw it was just Kara, he let out a sigh.

"Hi," Mike breathed as Kara moved closer.

"Hi." She captured his lips in heated kiss.

When she broke the kiss, Mike cupped her face and pulled her down next to him, crashing his lips onto hers again. They kissed for a while and only pulled away when Mike's phone rang.

Kara moved away and sat up. Mike jumped out of the bed, grabbed his phone and headed towards the bathroom.

When he returned, he said, "Why don't we go grab some breakfast before I drop you off at the college?"

"Sure!" Kara said, getting up. "You're coming to the play, right? Please don't wear one of your bodyguard suits."

Mike smirked at her. "Irresistible, aren't I?"

"On the contrary, you will look like a bodyguard who's guarding my dad. I want you to be there as my—" Kara stopped herself before she said the word  _boyfriend_. She no longer wanted him to be her fake boyfriend. She wanted the real thing. "As my friend."

"I'll be there. I'll even bring Winn along to cheer for you." Mike grabbed a towel and headed back to the bathroom. "Say, will there be food after the play?"

"No. I don't think so. Why?"

"I'll make sure to sneak in some snacks then." Mike waved at her before going to the bathroom. Kara heard the shower turn on. She made use of this opportunity to call her mother and ask her if she was coming back home soon.

When Mike was ready to leave, he drove Kara to the same place that sold those delicious breakfast wraps. They had their breakfast there before heading to the college.

"I'll walk you to the theater," Mike said, parking his car outside.

Kara nodded and grabbed her bag.

They made their way towards the theater quietly. Kara saw Noah and the others standing outside, waiting for the door to be opened. She turned to Mike and asked, "Can I ask you something?"

"Depends on what it is. I'm not going to high-five everyone I see for a minute. Or wear my underwear over my jeans. Or even get upside down and drink a glass of water."

"What?" Kara shook her head. "Did people make you do all these at some point of your life?"

"At the academy, yes."

"Wow! Okay, that's not what I want. I'm not giving you some stupid dare. All I want is for you to make sure my parents don't spoil the play, IF my mother shows up, that is. If she does, make sure they sit far away from each other."

"Can do." Mike nodded. "Is your mother coming?"

"I'm not sure. She said she would try. No promises."

"Hey! Chin up! You have a whole bunch of people cheering for you… I do wish your mom shows up, but even if she doesn't, you'll still have at least four people who care."

Kara gave him a nod. "I know. I just wish she shows up… I miss her."

Mike surprised her by pulling her into a hug. Kara hugged him back tightly. When Mike pulled away, she touched his scruffy jaw before leaning up to kiss him.

It was a soft kiss that lasted a couple of seconds. But when Kara pulled away, she said, "I'm glad you're here, Gramps."

"I know. What will you ever do without me, Brat?" Mike winked at her and moved away. He waved her goodbye and walked back to his car.

Kara turned around, but not before stealing a glance at him one last time. She smiled when Mike turned around as well and waved to her. She waved back and headed to the theater.

Today was the big day. She was going to perform in front of the biggest audience she had ever seen. And she was going to confess her feelings to Mike. Kara prayed that all went well today.

* * *

 

Mike had gone back home. It was Sunday and all he wanted to do was hang out with his brother at their place.

Winn woke up really late during weekend so Mike didn't disturb him. He simply changed into something comfortable and plopped on the couch with a can of beer.

Mike put Netflix on and winced when he saw his recommendations were messed up since Kara was watching Hill House on his account. Now all he saw was a bunch of horror stuff. He checked the 'Police Detective TV Thrillers' list next, but ended up watching Narcos Mexico.

Winn joined him a while later, running his hand through his already disheveled hair. Yawning as he walked out of the room.

"Mike?"

"Hey man! Was the volume too loud?"

Winn shook his head. "No. I didn't know you were here. Aren't you supposed to be guarding Kara?"

"She's at college. Jake's there, so no need to worry about her."

"What are you watching?"

"Narcos. There's a new one… Mexico. You've seen it?"

"Dude! I'm currently binge watching Hill House." Winn grinned at his brother. "I've no time for any other show… By the way, there's some cake in the fridge. I decided to indulge a little, so I got one yesterday. I'm going to shower now. Don't eat the whole cake, okay? Save some for me."

Mike jumped up and ran to the fridge. He hadn't noticed the cake before, but when he bent down, he saw it was on the lowest shelf. Mike was about to take it out when his phone rang. It was his mother.

He went to his room and pressed the answer button. "Hey Ma! How're you doin'?"

"Hi, honey! I'm fine. Just came back from visiting Louise, so… yeah."

"How's Grandma Lou doing? Pa and Teddy okay?"

"Jon and Ted are trying their hardest to stay sane. Your uncle Andrew visited Louise and she… well, she yelled at him. She said he's not Winn, so she doesn't want to see his face."

The shower was still running so Mike knew it was safe to talk. "Winn still doesn't know about Lou, does he?"

"No. I haven't told him yet. I plan on telling him tonight."

"I can break the news to him, if you want." Mike took a seat on the bed. "I'm sure Winn can take a day or two off and visit Grandma Lou."

"I know he can. But he said you boys are busy with a big mission. High profile, he said."

Mike rolled his eyes at that. "He's not supposed to talk about it."

"Oh, he also told me about Kara." Mike could hear the smile in his mother's voice. "Who's Kara, sweetie? When are you bringing her home?"

"Ma, it's not like that. She's just a friend!"

"Well, you haven't brought any girl home… Why not just bring this  _friend_  along?"

"Stop teasing, Ma… Kara's the mission. I wish I could tell you more. Anyway, changing the subject."

"When are you coming home?" Ma asked. "It's been months since I saw you. Your Pa misses you too, you know? He just doesn't say it out loud."

"I miss you guys, too… Ma, I have a good feeling all this is ending soon. So I'll be home before you know it. I did work overtime and during holidays to save up for a much needed break."

"I know, honey. That is why I worry. You don't even take a break! Look, I don't know what this new mission is. It does sound serious. But I don't want you to do something stupid, okay? Just… do what is right. And be careful."

"Am I anything but that?"

Ma chuckled heartily. "Yes. You are reckless, Michael. And your pa and I constantly worry about you. Just come back home safe."

"Will do, Ma. I promise." Mike heard a doorbell on the other side just then.

"Honey, I need to go. Mrs. Griffin and her daughter are here. I'll call you later. Give my love to Winn… and Kara."

"Ma!"

Mike shook his head when the call got cut. He headed back to the living room to take that cake. When Winn stepped out, whistling lightly, Mike glared at him.

"Hey! Don't eat the whole cake!" Winn called, running to the kitchen to grab a fork and two plates. "Be civilized, Michael!"

"You jerk, you told Ma about Kara?!"

"I just told her I have a new friend. I didn't say a word about you, I swear!"

"Well, guess what? She thinks Kara is my girlfriend and wants me to bring her home!"

"It's not my fault if Ma assumed something that was really happening."

Mike hit his brother with a cushion. "Bitch."

Winn snatched the cake out of Mike's hand. "Jerk."

The two brothers stopped arguing when they started eating the cake and watching Narcos. They had finished the whole cake by the time the episode ended. Winn decided they should head out to grab some lunch outside. They had to be at the college at 5:30PM for the play. It was going to start at 6 sharp, but Winn wanted to sit in the front, so they had to get there at least half an hour early.

The boys went to a nearby Pizzeria before deciding to shop a little. Winn wanted to buy a present for Donna, who was moving in with him next week. Mike would be staying there for another month before moving to his own apartment, the one across the hallway. He wanted to live close to his brother and his best friend. He knew Donna would murder him if he moved far away.

It was later that evening that the brothers made their way to the college. Winn chose to dress in a simple plaid shirt, jeans and a dark blue sweater. Mike, on the other hand, wore blue jeans, a light blue button-down shirt over a white t-shirt and a beige jacket he had borrowed from Clark two years ago.

He had even trimmed his beard, leaving a light stubble. Mike had combed his hair, much to Winn's surprise. When he stepped out of his room, Winn had burst out laughing. "Dude! You look like Harvard Hottie from The Nanny Diaries!, Mike, you are such a chick flick hero!"

"Dude, no! Shut up!" Mike had pushed his brother aside and walked out of the door.

They were standing outside the theater now. Teagan had texted Mike that their car was right around the corner. Mike and Winn decided to wait for Maxwell and Teagan.

Teagan waved to Mike when she saw him. He waved back. The woman looked beautiful in her short blue floral dress, with her long brown hair left open.

Maxwell complimented her look by wearing a white band t-shirt, which Mike noticed Kara had too, black jeans and a rich, black jacket.

"Hi, Mike!" Teagan greeted him by kissing him on his cheeks.

"Hey Teagan! You look amazing!" Mike smiled, turning to Maxwell. "Mr. Lord-Danvers, hello, Sir."

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Maxwell or Max? Hi, Mike. Is this your brother?" Maxwell held his hand out for Winn to shake, who was slowly turning into a puddle.

Mike elbowed Winn sharply. The other brother snapped out of his daze and shook hands with Maxwell. "Mr. Lord-Danvers, I'm a huge fan, Sir. It's such an honor to meet you!"

"It's lovely meeting you too, Winn. This is Teagan." Maxwell placed a hand on the small of her back. "She's my best friend, advisor, assistant, the woman who scares away any potential girlfriend… Well, you get the picture."

Teagan rolled her eyes at Maxwell. She then turned to Winn and shook his hand. "It's nice meeting you, Winn… I think we can go in. Shall we?"

"Lead the way." Mike gestured for Teagan and Maxwell to go in first. He walked in after them, keeping a sharp eye on their surroundings.


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The Merchant of Venice?" Mike looked at Winn. "I thought it was Cinderella!"
> 
> Winn grinned and read out the synopsis. "The Merchant of Venice is a 16th-century play written by William Shakespeare in which a merchant in Venice must default on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock. The play features Antonio, a prominent merchant of Venice. Bassanio, Antonio's best friend and the husband of Portia. Portia, a rich heiress, who marries Bassanio. Shylock, the Jew who lends money to Antonio."
> 
> "I think Kara is playing Portia," Maxwell said. "I remember I did the same play when I was seventeen. I played Antonio."
> 
> "Not Shylock?" Teagan winked at Maxwell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here comes the play! 
> 
> No Copyright Infringement intended. Dialogues of the play belong to the mighty Shakespeare! Thanks, Will!

As they walked in, they were welcome by two young people standing on the either side of the entryway. They handed them pamphlets and told them to choose whatever seat they would like to take.

"First row! Dibs," Winn called as he headed straight up front. Maxwell joined Winn and sat next to him much to the young man's delight. It wasn't everyday he got to sit next to his idol.

Teagan sat next to Maxwell and Mike took his seat on the other side of Winn, all the while looking at the pamphlet in his hand.

"The Merchant of Venice?" Mike looked at Winn. "I thought it was Cinderella!"

Winn grinned and read out the synopsis. "The Merchant of Venice is a 16th-century play written by William Shakespeare in which a merchant in Venice must default on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock. The play features Antonio, a prominent merchant of Venice. Bassanio, Antonio's best friend and the husband of Portia. Portia, a rich heiress, who marries Bassanio. Shylock, the Jew who lends money to Antonio."

"I think Kara is playing Portia," Maxwell said. "I remember I did the same play when I was seventeen. I played Antonio."

"Not Shylock?" Teagan winked at Maxwell.

"Darling, you know I never play the negative role!"

Teagan smiled and shook her head. Maxwell had played a negative role once; the movie had gotten a poor response. The world loved seeing Maxwell as the good guy.

Winn nudged Mike and asked, "Did Kara tell you which role she's playing?"

"Nope. But she said her character has a husband."

"Then she has to be Portia. Wonder who's playing Bassanio."

Mike clenched the paper in his fist. Seeing that, Winn realized it was someone Mike probably didn't like.

More people began to come in and five minutes before 6PM, the drama teacher came on the stage and welcomed everyone.

The play started with Antonio and Bassanio, who was in desperate need of money to court Portia. Noah could act, Mike would give him that.

And then she showed up, dressed in a long blue dress, her hair let loose. She looked like a dream.

Kara was indeed playing Portia, the rich heiress who lived in the city of Belmont. Portia was beautiful, charming and witty. As her suitors came and went, she secretly smiled making sure the man she loved got a fair chance at winning her hand in marriage.

Bassanio arrived and chose the lead casket, which held Portia's picture inside it. The young couple rejoiced and was soon wed. But Bassanio had to leave because Antonio had failed to pay the Jew, Shylock and now the man demanded a pound of flesh.

And then came the court scene, something Maxwell was really excited about.

"Give me your hand. Come you from old Bellario?" the Duke of Venice asked a young man dressed as a lawyer.

"I did, my lord."

"You are welcome, take your place. Are you acquainted with the difference that holds this present question in the court?" the Duke asked.

Mike smiled when he noticed Kara was wearing a wig to look like a man. She even had fake mustache and a goatee.

She nodded before speaking, "I am informed thoroughly of the case." Then she looked at the other men and asked, "Which is the merchant here and which the Jew?"

"Antonio and old Shylock, both stand forth."

Portia looked at Antonio first, her eyes fell on her husband before she turned to the old man. "Is your name Shylock?"

The man nodded. "Shylock  _is_  my name."

Portia then moved towards Shylock. She looked at him carefully before saying, "Of a strange nature is the suit you follow; yet in such rule that the Venetian law cannot impugn you as you do proceed." Portia turned to face Antonio. "You stand within his danger, do you not?"

"Ay, so he says," Antonio replied.

"Do you confess the bond?" Portia asked.

Antonio nodded. "I do."

Bassanio's eyes fell on the young lawyer. Portia then turned to face the Jew and spoke, "Then must the Jew be merciful."

"On what compulsion must I?" Shylock asked the young lawyer. "Tell me that."

Portia looked him in the eye and said, "The quality of mercy is not strained… It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath." She circled Shylock. "It is twice blest. It blesseth him that gives and him that takes: 'T is mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes the throned monarch better than his crown: His scepter shows the force of temporal power, the attribute to awe and majesty, wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings. But mercy is above this sceptered sway; it is enthroned in the hearts of kings, it is an attribute to God himself and earthly power doth then show likest God's when mercy seasons justice." She stopped fight in front of Shylock. "Therefore, Jew, though justice be your plea, consider this, that in the course of justice, none of us should see salvation, we do pray for mercy; and that same prayer doth teach us all to render the deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much to mitigate the justice of your plea; which if thou follow, this strict court of Venice Must needs give sentence 'gainst the merchant there."

When Kara turned, her eyes fell on Mike. He winked at her, but she tried her hardest not to smile. Her cheeks reddened, so she turned away quickly.

Then came the scene where Portia saved Antonio by saying that not a drop of blood was to be spilled, even if Shylock got his pound of flesh.

When the play ended, Maxwell was the one who shot out of his seat first and gave it a thunderous applause. Seeing him, everyone else stood up, giving the actors a standing ovation.

The actors formed a line and stood next to each other. Kara was in the middle, with Noah besides her. She was smiling brightly. And when her eyes fell on her dad, she wiped a stray tear from her cheek.

The curtains finally dropped. Maxwell turned to Teagan and said, "Didn't I tell you she had it in her? Acting is in her blood! If it wasn't for Cat, Kara would be in a drama school now."

Teagan patted his shoulder. "Calm down, you. Speak to Kara. Tell her how you feel. If she still wishes to be a Journalist after that, then there's nothing you can do about it. But, tell her you stand with her, no matter what."

Winn pulled Mike aside and said, "Dude! Kara's so talented. And on top of that, she's fun, kind and charming. Also kinda witty."

Mike grinned hearing that. "Yup. She's all that!"

"You're quite taken with her. Ask her out, bro!"

"Winn, not again!" Mike groaned. He then turned to face Maxwell and Teagan and said, "I'm gonna quickly head backstage and see if Kara's doing okay. We'll be back soon."

"We'll wait outside till then," Maxwell said, gesturing for Teagan and Winn to join him.

Mike waved them goodbye and headed backstage. Jake was nowhere to be seen. Mike straightened his back. What if Kara was all alone?

Just as he found the dressing room and was about to walk in, Noah stepped out. Mike's eyes narrowed at him.

"Oh! You're Kara's friend, aren't you?" Noah asked. "She's inside."

"Boyfriend," Mike corrected him. "But you already knew that."

Mike walked past Noah and opened the door to see Kara sitting there in her normal clothes, but she was wiping some makeup off her face. When she looked up and saw his reflection in the mirror, she gave him a bright smile.

There were two other girls in the room. But they gave Kara a knowing smile and left them room, giving Kara and Mike some privacy.

"Not a Cinderella," Kara said, walking towards Mike.

"Right! But I said Fairy Godmother… and in a way, you were. Portia saves Antonio."

"Did you like the play?"

Mike brushed the back of his hand against Kara's cheek. "Didn't like the whole Portia and Bassanio part. Barely survived it… I know that was a fake kiss, but still."

"I can't believe you focused on that, Mike!"

"The quality of mercy is not strained," Mike said. "It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath. It is twice blest. It blesseth him that gives and him that takes… Shakespeare was good, wasn't he?"

Mike patted Kara's head. Suddenly, his eyes fell on the bouquet of flowers that sat on the dressing table. He couldn't help but notice there was only one bouquet.

He pulled out his phone and typed something just as Kara said, "Mike, there's something I need to tell you. Can we talk outside?"

Mike held his phone up and showed the note he had just typed to Kara.

_Was this bouquet brought in for you? Nod once if yes. Shake your head if no._

Kara nodded.

"Of course, baby," Mike said, as he went back typing. "We should celebrate tonight."

_I think the bouquet might be bugged. Keep talking._

Kara gulped as Mike gave her his phone and went to check the bouquet. "Did my dad like the play? I saw him sitting with you. He looked happy."

"Oh! He was really happy!" Mike lifted the bouquet slowly and saw a bug stuck beneath it. "Babe, do you know there's this Italian place nearby? Al Forno? We should go there. Great pasta!"

"Now?" Kara asked, in surprise.

Mike nodded. "Yup! I'm sure we can get a table without a reservation. Come on, let's go."

Mike took Kara's backpack and walked out. He kept looking around as they walked out. Once they stepped out of the building, he led her to where Maxwell, Teagan and Winn were waiting.

Winn immediately noticed something was wrong when he saw Mike's face. "What is it?"

"There was a freaking bug in the bouquet delivered to Kara," Mike replied. "Can you take care of it?"

"Will do."

"What's wrong?" Maxwell asked in concern. He had been congratulating his daughter, but when he heard the word bug, he tensed up.

"Sir, she's after Kara. But we shouldn't back off now. We take the battle to her," Mike replied. "I made sure she heard we are going to Al Forno. It's nearby and we'll have backup soon." Mike then placed a finger on his ear. "With your permission, Chief."

"Affirmative. Keep the Sparrow safe, Michael. Winslow, get the bug back here. Make sure Lord-Danvers and Lee are safe. I'll tell Jacob to stay with them."

"Got it, Sir," both Winn and Mike replied.

Before Winn left to get the bug, he placed a hand on his brother's shoulder and said, "Be safe."

Mike nodded and turned to Kara. "I know what I'm asking of you is very dangerous. But this is the best chance to catch her, Kara. We can't afford to lose it."

"I understand, Mike. I'll help anyway I can." Kara then turned to her dad. "Dad, you should go back to your hotel. I'll meet you there once this is over."

Maxwell hesitated, but he also wanted this woman to be caught. He pulled Kara into a hug and said, "Stay safe, bean. And Mike, please look after her."

Mike nodded and placed a hand on Kara's elbow. "Let's go."

Kara and Mike made their way to his car. Once they got in, Kara turned to him and asked, "How do we know she's going to show up?"

"Oh, I know she will. She's desperate. And she knows your father is here. It makes her revenge more meaningful if your father is nearby."

"I'm scared, Mike." Kara looked pale. "What if something happens to us?"

"I promise I won't let anything happen to you, Kara. She'll only come near you over my dead body." Mike drove straight to the restaurant. "This ends today."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The climax begins! Hold on tight!
> 
> _________________________________________________________________________
> 
> Kudos = Potstickers  
> Comments = Club Soda
> 
> Leave me some if you liked what you read! :)
> 
> If you like the story, don’t forget to Subscribe and Bookmark it, you’ll get a notification whenever there’s a new chapter.


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Mike, there's something I need to ask," Kara spoke. "Fantastic Beasts comes out next week. I was wondering if you wanted to see it… with me."
> 
> Mike looked at Kara carefully. "Kara, I'm sure we will catch this woman. You won't be needing me to guard you."
> 
> "I know. But I was just wondering if you wanted to see it. Not as a bodyguard," she whispered the last part.
> 
> "Sorry, Kara. I'm a bit busy next week. Donna will be in town, and I haven't seen her in months. She will want me to spend the weekend with her."
> 
> Kara frowned lightly. "Can't you take even a few hours out of your busy schedule for me?"
> 
> "Look, I don't understand what is going on here. I have already made plans with Donna and it just looks bad if I change them now."

Al Forno was a typical Italian restaurant like the ones Kara had been to before. But they managed to get a nice table without a reservation. One of the walls was complete glass and they ended up sitting right next to it.

Kara was a bit nervous. But Mike was acting normal despite the tensed situation they were in.

Kara decided to distract herself by talking to Mike. "So, the play, I hope you liked it."

"Yeah. It was nice," Mike said, sounding a bit distracted. A waitress came to take their order. Once she left, Mike scanned the whole place. For a spilt second it felt like he saw her. Mike sat up straight.

"Mike, there's something I need to ask," Kara spoke. "Fantastic Beasts comes out next week. I was wondering if you wanted to see it… with me."

Mike looked at Kara carefully. "Kara, I'm sure we will catch this woman. You won't be needing me to guard you."

"I know. But I was just wondering if you wanted to see it. Not as a bodyguard," she whispered the last part.

"Sorry, Kara. I'm a bit busy next week. Donna will be in town, and I haven't seen her in months. She will want me to spend the weekend with her."

Kara frowned lightly. "Can't you take even a few hours out of your busy schedule for me?"

"Look, I don't understand what is going on here. I have already made plans with Donna and it just looks bad if I change them now."

"Did this mean anything to you, Mike?" Kara waved between them. "Did our relationship mean anything to you?"

"Our relationship?" Mike frowned at her. "Was there one? Because you were interested in Noah and were trying to get his attention."

Kara's mouth fell open. "Yes, there was a moment when I thought I liked Noah. But clearly my feelings were messed up…  _We_  had something, Mike… At least I thought we did. It was real for me. But I guess I was just another lay for you, huh?"

"Can you please stop this?" Mike raised his voice. "This is not the time or the place for this conversation."

"No. This is exactly the right time. I meant nothing to you, did I? You just saw that I was innocent and available and you took your chance! I hope you're fucking happy with that, Mike. I hope you had fun, because it's about to end. Whether this lunatic gets caught or not, I don't wanna see you anymore. I'm going to ask my dad to tell your boss to send some other bodyguard… I'm done with you, Mike Matthews. I hope you have a nice fucking life!"

"Kara, no!" Before Mike could reach out to grab her hand, she ran out of the restaurant.

Mike got up to follow her but the waitress returned. "Sir, you have to pay for that wine."

"Fuck, man!" Mike took a fifty-dollar bill from his wallet and threw it on the table before running out of the building.

There was normal traffic on the street, but Kara wasn't there. She could have gone anywhere. Mike cursed himself and ran towards the next street in search of Kara.

* * *

 

Meanwhile, Kara had run out, furiously wiping the tears from her cheeks. She had been wrong about Mike. He had never wanted to be with her. It was always about Donna. She was his priority and they weren't even together.

Kara walked into the next street, deciding to take a shortcut to the main street, where she would get a taxi. The street was empty, but suddenly she felt a presence behind her. Kara turned around sharply to see a woman standing in the middle of the street, smirking at her.

"Kara Danvers, we finally meet!"

"Who are you?" Kara demanded.

"I would say your death, but that's too clichéd." The woman was tall. She had long black hair and a cunning look on her face. "My name is Lena Luthor. I guess you have heard of me."

"No. Why? Are you a celebrity or something?"

"Oh! Wits… like her mother," Lena said in her thick accent. "I was your father's lover. We were happy together, or so I thought. Then he betrayed me. Found some confidential information about my work and my brother, Lex, and gave it to your mother. Thanks to that, my brother and I were sent to prison… I spent some really tortuous years in prison, Kara. And I plotted something there, not wasting my time."

"Oh, good for you! Let's just plot to kill an innocent girl who has no idea you exist than get a goddamn hobby!"

Lena chuckled menacingly. "Sarcastic, like Maxwell."

Kara rolled her eyes at the woman in front of her. "You, Lady, are the human version of period cramps."

Lena's grin dropped. "Foolish girl! Did your parents ever teach you to protect yourself?" Lena took a gun out of her jacket and pointed it at Kara, who paled at the sight of it.

Just then, they heard a voice, "Miss Luthor, please. Be rational. Drop the gun. This can be sorted out without you being armed." Mike had joined them. He was slowly approaching Kara. He was sweating a little, possibly from his run trying to find Kara.

"And who the fuck are you?" Lena spit. Before Mike could reply, she took a shot at Kara.

Kara closed her eyes, waiting for the pain to come, but it didn't. When she opened her eyes, she saw Mike was on his knees, clutching his now bleeding shoulder. He had jumped in front of her and taken a bullet!

Kara gasped. "Mike! Are you okay?" She kneeled besides him and placed a hand on his shoulder. He winced loudly.

"Your parents destroyed my life!" Lena shouted. "If you think I'll stop now, then you are wrong. By killing you, I'll have my revenge… Your parents will suffer every single day thinking they couldn't protect their precious daughter! This is what happens when you mess with a Luthor!"

"Oh, shut the fuck up!" Mike yelled, pulling himself up. "I have had enough of your foolishness. You are clearly insane and a woman like you should be locked up. If you have a problem with Cat Grant and your ex-boyfriend, take it up to them and talk it out, you insane woman! Don't take it out on a kid."

"Shut up!" Lena screeched as she shook her arms out of annoyance. But she didn't realize that the gun was still in her hand and she accidentally fired it.

The bullet hit Mike right under his chest. His eyes widened when the pain shot through him. Before he could fall, Kara was by his side, holding him by his waist. "Mike, no!"

Lena realized what she had just done. She had shot this man and he was going to die. The cops would be after her now. So she did the only thing she could think of. She bolted.

But Mike wasn't having any of that. Despite the pain from both the bullets, he still pushed Kara away and went to take Lena's gun. He aimed it right at her and shouted, "FBI, STOP RIGHT THERE!"

But Lena wasn't going to stop. Mike took the call and shot at her leg. The woman screeched in pain and fell on the ground, holding her bleeding leg tightly.

The gun dropped out of Mike's hand and he sunk to his knees.

"Mike!" Kara yelled as she grabbed him before he fell back. She held him against her chest and cried, "Don't you dare die, Mike! Why did you even come here? Why did you do that?! It was so stupid of you!"

Mike's eyes were closing lightly. But he was trying his hardest to look at Kara. With a bloody hand, he touched her cheek. "It was worth it."

He heard Winn screaming in the comm. He could hear his brother crying. Mike looked up at the dark sky. "Kara," he breathed.

"Mike?!"

"Tell my—" Mike winced in pain, clutching his hand over his stomach. "Tell my pa I said sorry." With that, his eyes closed.

"Mike. No. No. No. Get up! Open your eyes!" Kara touched his face. "Mike, please! I'm begging you. Mike. No. MIIIKKKKEEEE!"

 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DID YOU SEE THAT COMING??? MIKE BEING AN FBI AGENT?!
> 
> _________________________________________________________________________
> 
> Kudos = Potstickers  
> Comments = Club Soda
> 
> Leave me some if you liked what you read! :)
> 
> If you like the story, don’t forget to Subscribe and Bookmark it, you’ll get a notification whenever there’s a new chapter.


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When someone came into the line of her vision, she blinked. It was a paramedic.
> 
> "Hi there," a young man called. "I just need to check if you're alright. Can you look at my finger?" He flashed a light in Kara's eyes as she looked at his finger. After running the basic tests, the man pulled a wet tissue and wiped the blood off Kara's cheek. "I'm assuming this blood isn't yours?" He held the tissue in front of her.
> 
> "No, it's my boy—sorry, it belongs to the guy who saved my life."
> 
> "A brave guy, indeed," the man said with a smile. "Do you feel any pain anywhere? Your head, perhaps?"
> 
> "No. I didn't get hurt," Kara blurted out.
> 
> "Miss Danvers," the man called. "You're in shock right now. You should go home and try to rest, okay? Take care of yourself."

Maxwell was telling his hired driver to drive faster. He was panicking, shouting even. Lena Luthor had showed up and tried to attack Kara.

Just as they neared the location to where Kara was, they saw two ambulances drive away. Maxwell froze. Teagan grabbed his hand and rubbed his back.

"It's going to be okay! She's going to be okay!" Teagan pulled Maxwell into a hug. "She's going to be okay," she repeated, reassuring herself.

When the taxi stopped, Maxwell got out of the car and hurried to see Kara seated on the steps of another ambulance. Before he could go to her, he was stopped.

"Jones, let me go to her!"

"Maxwell, just give the paramedics two minutes with Kara. They need to see if she's okay."

Maxwell took a step back. His little girl was right there, yet he couldn't be with her.

* * *

 

Meanwhile, Kara hadn't noticed that her dad had arrived. Earlier, she heard screeches of tires; she had looked up to see Winn arriving with some other people she had never seen before. That psychotic woman was taken into custody. Then two ambulances arrived and Mike was taken away in one. Winn went along with him.

All she had managed to hear was that Mike's condition was serious.

And now she sat here, looking at nothing in particular. When someone came into the line of her vision, she blinked. It was a paramedic.

"Hi there," a young man called. "I just need to check if you're alright. Can you look at my finger?" He flashed a light in Kara's eyes as she looked at his finger. After running the basic tests, the man pulled a wet tissue and wiped the blood off Kara's cheek. "I'm assuming this blood isn't yours?" He held the tissue in front of her.

"No, it's my boy—sorry, it belongs to the guy who saved my life."

"A brave guy, indeed," the man said with a smile. "Do you feel any pain anywhere? Your head, perhaps?"

"No. I didn't get hurt," Kara blurted out.

"Miss Danvers," the man called. "You're in shock right now. You should go home and try to rest, okay? Take care of yourself."

As the paramedic walked away, Kara saw her father running to her. She stood up just as he pulled her into a hug.

"Oh Kara! I was so scared!"

"Daddy, I wanna go home."

"Of course, darling. Your mother is here. She just called Teagan and said she's at her place. We haven't told her what happened in case she panics. Let's get you home." Maxwell removed his jacket and draped it over Kara's shoulder. He then walked her to a car waiting for them.

Kara sat in the back with Teagan and Maxwell got into the passenger seat. Kara noticed a tall, dark man get into the car. He got behind the wheel and started driving.

When they reached home, Cat had stepped out seeing a car pull into the driveway.

The second Kara saw her, she sobbed and ran to her. "Mama!"

"Oh baby, what happened? Keira, talk to me!" Cat hugged her daughter tightly before taking her into the house. The man who drove them here followed them in.

But just as Teagan was going to walk in, Maxwell caught her arm.

"Max, what is it?"

"I can't do this anymore, Tea."

"What? Max, come on! I know you don't want to be at Cat's place, but this is important. Kara needs you!"

"Teagan, that's not what I'm talking about. I can't do this… I can't pretend to be just a friend anymore. I almost lost my daughter today… Lost my entire world! And I can't pretend that I'm okay. I keep lying to myself that what I feel for you is not enough, but that's a lie. I love you, Teagan Lee. I've always been in love with you. I can't afford to lose Kara or you. You might not feel the same about me but—"

Teagan cut him off by crashing her lips against his. Maxwell kissed her back heartily. When Teagan broke the kiss, she said, "I love you, too, you idiot… I've loved you for a long time. But you know what? You need to go in there and be there for your daughter. We can talk about us later."

They walked in, hand in hand. Cat had just wrapped a throw around Kara and when she looked up at them, she gave them a genuine smile. Maxwell returned the smile and went to take a seat in the armchair. Teagan sat next to Kara and wrapped an arm around the shoulder.

Finally, Cat took a seat and spoke, "Will anyone explain to me what's going on?"

Maxwell nodded and began to tell Cat what she had missed. When Cat was all caught up, she turned to glare at the man sitting on the armchair next to Maxwell.

"You promised you would keep my daughter safe!"

"I know, Miss Grant. And Michael did protect her. He took two bullets."

Cat sat back, her eyes drifting towards Kara. "Is he okay now?"

"No, Ma'am. He's not… I just got a text that he's been taken into surgery. He's critical."

Kara covered her mouth with her hand. This was all her fault! Mike was dying because of her.

"Kara," the man spoke again, "you must be wondering why this woman came after you. I think it's time we tell you the truth… My name is not Hank Henshaw. That was my cover. I'm John Jones. Deputy Director. FBI… Mike was no bodyguard. He's a special agent. And his brother Winn works for us too.

"The woman who came after you was a wanted criminal, Lena Luthor. Lena and her brother Lex were charged of murder and many other unthinkable crimes. Lex claimed he was a scientist. He experimented on humans. Lena found them… Homeless people. Then they would take them to their lab and test to see if they were aliens living amongst us. They ran some pretty gruesome tests… Your parents are responsible for putting them behind bars. Unfortunately, Lena Luthor escaped and came after you."

Kara turned to look at her parents. She then saw her father knead his temple. "I met Lena when you were around ten. I had a huge fight with Teagan and just drove off to get drunk. Then I met Lena at a bar and we bonded over complaining about Cat. Sorry… She was moving way too fast and I was nervous. One day, I was staying over at her place. I got up late at night to get a glass of water, and I ended up seeing some files left in her study. I know it was wrong of me to snoop around, but what I found just… It wasn't good. She was helping her brother do tests on people. And they died! They just died and she would get rid of the bodies. I panicked, but I managed to take pictures on my phone. And then I went back to bed… The next morning I lied to Lena that you had fallen sick, Kara, and that I was going to visit you. Then I hurried to Cat and gave her my phone."

"Not just your phone, Max. You gave us the most important piece of evidence  _and_  your statement at the court," Cat said. "That was enough to shut LexCorp and CADMUS Labs… I had left Daily Planet, but I wanted to break the news through a bigger newspaper. So I went back and decided to work with them once more."

"You won a Pulitzer for this?" Kara asked in a low voice.

"I did… But I never realized this would come back to haunt us."

Maxwell stood up and turned to face John. "Jones, Mike saved my daughter's life, and I can't thank him enough for what he did. I want to pay his hospital bills. Surgery, medicine, everything! Please, let me pay for it."

"I'm going to have to talk to Winn about this, Maxwell. I want to let Mike's family decide if they need your help. But knowing them, they will probably refuse... Anyway, I'll take my leave now. I'll keep you updated about Mike's condition." John shook hands with Maxwell and Cat and left the house.

Silence fell after his departure. All words were spoken. There was nothing more left to say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SO SADDDD... WHAT HAVE I DONE?!
> 
>  
> 
> _________________________________________________________________________
> 
> Kudos = Potstickers  
> Comments = Club Soda
> 
> Leave me some if you liked what you read! :)
> 
> If you like the story, don’t forget to Subscribe and Bookmark it, you’ll get a notification whenever there’s a new chapter.


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Walking in, Kara approached the receptionist. "Hi, we're here to see Mike Matthews. He was brought in last night."
> 
> "Hi there," the receptionist replied. "Let me check. One minute, please." She checked the records and then looked up. "Sorry, there's no one named Mike Matthews here."
> 
> "Can you try Michael Matthews?" Teagan asked, moving closer to the desk.
> 
> The receptionist nodded and checked once again. "No. I'm sorry. There's no one by that name."

Kara didn't sleep the entire night. She lay awake in her bed, thinking about Mike.

She was so wrong about him. She had thought he didn't care for her. Yet he took a bullet for her. She would never be able to repay him. The least she could do was apologize to his family.

When Kara went downstairs in the morning, she noticed Maxwell was sitting on the couch, reading the newspaper. Her mother was on the phone with someone and Teagan was making breakfast.

Maxwell and Teagan had decided to stay the night. Kara had spent hours on the couch, curled up next to her father, who kept assuring her that Mike would get better soon. The morning did bring them some good news. John had called to inform that Mike's surgery last night had been a success and he was going to be shifted to a room that afternoon. But he also said that Mike's family refused Maxwell's money saying Mike was only doing his job.

Kara had wanted to visit him, but her parents weren't sure if that would be a good thing to do.

It was Teagan who offered to drive Kara to the hospital and meet Mike's family that evening. Maxwell and Cat didn't stop her. Maxwell even apologized that he wasn't strong enough to face Mike's family right now. So, in the end, Teagan and Kara went to the city hospital.

Walking in, Kara approached the receptionist. "Hi, we're here to see Mike Matthews. He was brought in last night."

"Hi there," the receptionist replied. "Let me check. One minute, please." She checked the records and then looked up. "Sorry, there's no one named Mike Matthews here."

"Can you try Michael Matthews?" Teagan asked, moving closer to the desk.

The receptionist nodded and checked once again. "No. I'm sorry. There's no one by that name."

Teagan thanked her and turned to face Kara. "Strange. Mr. Jones said Mike was admitted here. They couldn't have taken him home. And there's no record of him here."

"Maybe they took him to a different hospital and Mr. Jones got the name wrong?" Kara asked.

"I can call Maxwell and ask him to call Mr. Jones and confirm, if you want."

Just as Kara was about to say yes, she saw a familiar face. "Tea, look. That's Winn. Mike's brother." Kara then hurried towards Winn. "Winn!"

Winn turned around in surprise. "Kara? Hey!" He greeted her with a hug. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry I didn't ask last night. I panicked when I saw Mike like that."

"No, don't apologize! I'm the one who should be apologizing!" Kara pulled away and said, "We asked the receptionist if Mike was here and she said no."

"Oh!" Winn scratched his head before saying, "He's here. Let me take you to his room… Oh, hi there, Miss Teagan."

"Hi, Winn. Hope you're doing okay."

"I would be lying if I said I was okay. It's been a hectic day. A horrible night too." Winn led them towards the elevator and pressed the button to the fifth floor.

When they got out, they walked down a hallway and took a right that led them to another hallway. Winn stopped in front of a room and knocked on the door. Then he opened it and said, "We have guests."

Teagan walked in after him, but Kara stayed back to read the patient's name that was written under the room number.

> **512**
> 
> Michael Kent

_Kent!_  That was his real name. He gave his  _real_  name at that restaurant they dined the very first time in the city.

Kara walked in to see it was a spacious room. The patient's bed was in the middle and a frail figure lay over it. On the right side of the bed was a lounge chair and a stool to sit on. On the opposite side, right underneath a huge window, was a couch. A woman sat on it. She had just stood up when she saw Teagan. She had light brown hair that reached just below her shoulders. Her eyes the same shade as Winn's. Green and heartwarming. She had the same kind smile her oldest son had. When she finally saw Kara, she greeted her with a hug.

"You must be Kara! I've heard so much about you!"

"Kara, this is my mother, Martha Kent. Ma, this is Kara Danvers," Winn introduced them. Then he turned to the couch and said, "And that's the apple of everyone's eye. My nephew, Conner."

Kara's eyes finally fell on the sleeping baby. He was holding a stuffed panda toy in his arms and slept peacefully.

Martha gestured for Kara and Teagan to take a seat. She sat next to her grandson and caressed his head. "His mother just stepped out to get us some coffee. She needs her caffeine fix." Martha smiled at that. "This little guy arrived with his parents this morning. He fell asleep a while ago."

"He's adorable," Teagan said. Then she began to apologize on Maxwell's behalf, explaining to Martha that he wanted to visit but he wasn't sure if he was ready to face them yet.

Martha didn't seem to mind at all. She even thanked Teagan for Maxwell's generous offer to pay for Mike's surgery and other bills. She explained that Mike had insurance and that his office was taking care of other expenses.

Kara took the opportunity to look at Mike. A sheet covered half of his body. The rest of it was bare, expect for the bandages over his left shoulder and the one covering his abdomen. There was an IV going through his vein and a monitor attached to his finger. He also had an oxygen mask on.

"It was a close call," Winn said, standing besides her. "The bullet missed the vital organs. And since there was no exit wound for both the bullets, the surgery wasn't as complicated as we imagined. But the doctor has advised complete bed rest." Winn patted Kara's shoulder. "I'll give you a minute with him alone." Saying that, he went to join his mother. Teagan had just gotten a call. She said goodbye to Martha and Winn, and told Kara she would be waiting for her downstairs near the car.

Kara looked at Mike again. Tears began to swell in her eyes. She leaned down and caressed his hair lightly. "Hey, Gramps! I came to see you, but I guess you'll never know. First of all, that was such a stupid move. Why did you jump when that crazy woman shot at me? Why are you so reckless? I'll never forgive myself for what happened yesterday, Mike… And I miss you so much. I'm sorry for all the hurtful things I said to you…

"Mike, I… I love you. And I know we can never be together, but all I want is for you to have a long, happy life with someone  _you_  love. You deserve that, Gramps. But just know that this Brat will always be waiting to see you smile, just one more time." Kara leaned closer and kissed Mike's forehead. She then turned around to see Martha and Winn looking at Conner and saying something.

Just then, the door opened. Kara turned to see if it was Teagan, but in came Diana Kent. Unlike last time, she wore dark jeans, a black top and a brown suede jacket.

"This place doesn't have good coffee," she said in her rich English accent. Diana stopped herself when she noticed Kara. "Oh, I didn't know we had company. Hello, Kara."

"Hi, Diana," Kara greeted her back. She then turned to face Winn and Martha as Diana went to see her baby boy. "I should go now. Umm… thanks for letting me see Mike. And I'm so sorry for all that happened… It's all my fault!"

Martha placed her hand over Kara's shoulder. "No, dear. It's not your fault. We don't blame you at all. Please don't feel guilty for what happened… Just know that whatever Mike did, it was only for your best."

"He didn't even tell me his real name."

"I know. He's not allowed to during such missions." Martha then turned to the small desk against the wall. She took the pen and scribbled something on the piece of paper. "This is my number and the address to our home back at Smallville. If you have any questions, you can always ask me. If you wish to get to know Mike more, you can visit our home. I'm actually heading back tomorrow. I'll be there for few days, if you wish to visit."

"Thank you for this." Kara kept the paper in her handbag. "It was lovely meeting you."

"It was lovely meeting you as well, Kara." Martha gave Kara one last hug.

Kara said goodbye to Winn and was about to leave when she heard Diana's voice call out her name. "I'll walk you to your car," Diana said. "I'm just heading out to grab us coffee… I'll be right back, Ma. Winn, don't you dare wake up my baby!"

Winn winked at her and sat next to baby Conner.

Diana and Kara made their way downstairs. Diana looked at Kara carefully before saying, "You do look a lot like your father. The last time I saw you you were blonde."

Kara touched her hair and nodded. "It was Mike's idea. He said it would protect me from the woman who was after me."

"The Kent men love brunettes." Diana smirked. "I considered dying my hair blonde once to see how badly Clark would react. But I knew I would hate myself for doing that to him."

"You have a beautiful family, Diana."

"Thank you. The Kents truly are amazing people… But hey, from what Mike has told me about you, you sound amazing too."

Kara looked at the other woman in surprise. "Mike talked to you about me?"

"Yeah. All the time. It was always Kara did this, Kara did that… He just couldn't stop himself." They walked out of the hospital just then. "Mike told me you made him happy. You made him feel younger, as if he had gotten back the time he had spent at the academy and the Air Force."

Kara stopped short. Realization sunk in. The only person she knew Mike had been talking to was his therapist. But from what Diana had just told her…

"Wait,  _you_  are Mike's therapist?" Kara asked in shock.

Diana nodded. "My only patient who gets to talk to me whenever he wants and doesn't get charged a penny." Diana smiled as he kept walking. "He's my little brother. If talking to me helps, so be it." When she noticed Kara still hadn't followed her, Diana turned around and said, "He's a good man, Kara. Fiercely protective of those whom he loves. So don't blame yourself for what happened. It was Mike's choice to jump in front of you and take that bullet. But I know you have a lot of questions because he obviously kept secrets from you. Do yourself a favor, visit the Kent farm. Talk to Ma. There's a lot to Mike than he's willing to share."

"Thanks, Diana. I think I'll do that." Kara gave her a small smile.

Diana then waved to her. "I'm going to go grab that coffee now before my baby wakes up. See you, Kara. Take care of yourself."

"You too, Diana. And thanks for talking to me."

"Anytime, Lord-Danvers!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Diana is so wonderful! No wonder she's Wonder Woman! I stan!!! AND MARTHA KENT!!! I guess you guys saw that coming!
> 
> _________________________________________________________________________
> 
> Kudos = Potstickers  
> Comments = Club Soda
> 
> Leave me some if you liked what you read! :)
> 
> If you like the story, don’t forget to Subscribe and Bookmark it, you’ll get a notification whenever there’s a new chapter.


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Guys, break it off!" Teagan called, walking in.
> 
> "It's Catherine's fault!" Maxwell cried. "She said she won't let me take Kara back home."
> 
> "I'm taking Keira to London, Maxwell. End of the discussion!" Cat roared.
> 
> "No. No. No. You can't do that, Cat! You did it enough times when Kara was little. She's an adult and I say she goes with me!"
> 
> "Keira is more than capable of making her own decisions!" Cat shot back. "So, she's going with me!"
> 
> Kara let out a loud sigh. "Mom, Dad, can you please stop shouting?! My head hurts… And yes, I am an adult and I'm going nowhere with the two of you. I'm staying right here… I'll be upstairs. I don't wanna see anyone for a while." Kara rushed upstairs and went straight to her room.

It had been just a day since the incident. A sudden rain had started after Kara had come back from visiting Mike at the hospital. She had come home to a huge argument between her parents.

Apparently, they could only pretend to be civil for a few hours at the most. And that time had passed. Now Cat was throwing a cushion at Maxwell and he was ducking.

"Guys, break it off!" Teagan called, walking in.

"It's Catherine's fault!" Maxwell cried. "She said she won't let me take Kara back home."

"I'm taking Keira to London, Maxwell. End of the discussion!" Cat roared.

"No. No. No. You can't do that, Cat! You did it enough times when Kara was little. She's an adult and I say she goes with  _me_!"

"Keira is more than capable of making her own decisions!" Cat shot back. "So, she's going with me!"

Kara let out a loud sigh. "Mom, Dad, can you please stop shouting?! My head hurts… And yes, I  _am_  an adult and I'm going  _nowhere_  with the two of you. I'm staying right here… I'll be upstairs. I don't wanna see anyone for a while." Kara rushed upstairs and went straight to her room. She closed the door and landed on the bed.

One day without Mike and she was already depressed thanks to her parents. How was she supposed to go on like this?

* * *

 

The next day was somber. It was raining heavily. Cat and Maxwell were pretending the other didn't exist. They both spoke with Teagan, talking to each other indirectly. Teagan had no idea why she put up with these two. She simply rolled her eyes when another argument started. The only thing she could think of was getting Maxwell out of this place. She talked to Kara about this and decided it was best for everyone if Maxwell left town. Kara didn't seem to mind. She was lost in her own world.

Day three brought the first sunshine after the storm. It was Wednesday. The day Kara finally made up her mind to talk to Mrs. Kent. Maxwell and Teagan had flown out last evening. Cat was also packing her stuff to fly back to London for some reason. This did give Kara enough time to decide whether she wanted to go to the Kent farm.

Once she had made up her mind, she changed into a comfortable pair of jeans and t-shirt, slipped on a hoodie and grabbed her shades and was out of the door. She took a taxi to the train station. Mike had once mentioned that there was a train to his town and when he didn't feel like driving, he took that one.

Kara did the same. Luckily there was a train in ten minutes when she got her ticket. She didn't have to wait long.

She listened to music on her phone all the way to Smallville. When she finally reached the town, she noticed there were only three other people who got down. Finding a taxi was a challenge. There were no ubers around. Kara entered the location in the maps and noticed the farm wasn't that far from the station. So, she decided to walk.

She was glad she wore sneakers and that she wasn't out of breath by the time she reached the farm.

Kara rang the bell and waited for someone to open the door. She had never seen Mike's dad. What was she supposed to tell him? She even had a message from Mike for him. His son had said sorry. For what reason? She would never know.

Martha Kent was the one to open the door. She gave Kara a bright smile when she saw her.

"Hello, dear. Come in!"

"Hi, Mrs. Kent." Kara smiled back and walked in. The sound of barks made her jump as she walked into the living room.

"Obi! Buyo! Down, boys!" Martha called. "Sorry about them. They were expecting someone else. Please, have a seat. Did you walk all the way here? I would have picked you up if you had called me… Would you like something to drink? Some lemonade? I just made some."

"Thank you. Lemonade would be lovely!" Kara looked down at the two dogs that sat in front of her.

The big dog was a Golden Retriever and the little one was a Husky. The big one circled her, looking at her suspiciously. The little one jumped her.

"Buyo!" Martha cried. "What did I tell you about jumping our guests? Bad dog!" She lifted the small dog off Kara and helped her up. "I'm so sorry about this brat. Mike's the one who taught him to jump on people."

Kara smiled at the familiar pet name. When the bigger one came and nudged her hand, she petted his head. "How old are they?"

"The one next to you is Obi-Wan. We just call him Obi. He's five this year… And this one," Martha said, looking at the dog in her arms, "is Buyo. He's five-months-old."

"Mike is a big fan of Star Wars," Kara called absentmindedly, as she walked towards the wall that had many framed pictures.

"He is. All my boys are, actually. Clark was the one who named Obi. We never understood why Mike wanted to name this little guy Buyo. He just did." Martha set Buyo down and went back into the kitchen to fetch Kara's drink.

Kara stood staring at the pictures hung on the wall. There were few of a young Mrs. Kent and a man, who Kara assumed was Mike's dad. There were two more pictures of a baby boy. And then just the three boys. Kara wondered if that baby was Mike. She couldn't tell. There was a picture of Clark from graduation, Mike and Winn stood next to him and they looked really young. Another picture of Winn alone, wearing braces and glasses, at some science fair. The next one was a family picture where Mike looked around ten. And then a picture of a teen Mike, possibly taken when he joined the academy. There was another one of Mike with his parents, probably taken in Japan since there was the famous Mt. Fuji in the background. And one of Clark and Diana from their wedding. And a big family photo with all the Kents. Also a picture of baby Conner in his mother's arm with Clark sitting next to her, his parents on either side of the young couple and Mike and Winn stood behind them.

There was a bit bigger one that caught Kara's eye. Mike stood wearing his Air Force green uniform, standing on the wing of a plane. He looked so happy and proud. Next to it hung his Air Force dog tags. She took it and read what was written on it.

****

****

"Kara?" Martha called, once again lifting Buyo and setting him down on his dog bed.

Kara then joined Martha in the kitchen where she had placed a tall glass of iced lemonade and a plate of chocolate chip cookies for her on the dining table. Kara took a seat and took a sip of the drink.

"Mrs. Kent, this is really good!"

"Thank you, honey. My boys love it so I make it whenever they come home."

Kara's smile dropped. Mike and Winn weren't home.

"Clark is here," Martha said, taking a seat in front of Kara. "He's gone to the town. He'll be back soon."

"Diana and Conner are still in National City?"

"They are. Clark came with me since he wanted to visit his grandmother. She injured herself after a bad fall."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Is she okay now?"

Martha nodded. "My mother-in-law is tougher than she looks. But my husband stayed back at his parents' place to help them out till Louise got better."

"Umm… Mike said something… after he got… I'm sorry. He told me to tell his father that he was sorry."

Martha looked at her sadly before nodding. "Of course he did! It's because of how badly Jon usually reacts when one of the boys gets hurt. When we found out Mike's plane had crashed… Jon had a heart attack. A minor one, but it still scared all of us. Mike knew that if Jon found out that he had gotten shot, something bad would happen. That's why we didn't tell Jon or his parents about Mike."

"Your husband doesn't know?" Kara asked in surprise.

"No, Kara. I can't take that risk again. But I will tell him once Mike comes back home. It's the sudden news that affects him."

"Mike is really close to his dad then." Kara smiled to herself. The little dog, Buyo had jumped on the chair next to her and perched himself on it. Obi was on Kara's other side, taking a nap.

"The boys like you." Martha smiled at the two dogs.

Kara hesitated but gently patted Buyo's head. The dog wagged his tail happily. "Mike's name… What does the T stand for? I just saw it on his dog tag."

"Theodore," Martha replied. "It's my father-in-law's name. He adores Mike, so he wanted him to have his name. My mother-in-law loves all the three boys, but Winn is her favorite. That's why his name is Winslow Louis Kent. We couldn't really call him Louise, could we?"

Seeing Martha laugh heartily, Kara smiled as well. She then looked at the wall with the pictures and asked, "Who's that baby boy? Is that Mike?"

"No. That's Clark… We don't have any pictures of Mike and Winn as babies."

Kara's eyes widened hearing that.

"You wanted to know the truth," Martha started. "Let me start from the beginning then." Seeing Kara nod, Martha continued, "I was born Martha Clarke. That's one reason why we named our son Clark… You could say that my family was well off. We lived in National City. My father was a rich businessman, who made some wrong decisions and ended up bankrupt. My whole family decided to move to Smallville. My mother's younger brother owned a diner here."

"Mackey's?"

"Ah! You know about it." Martha nodded. "We own it now. I guess Mike mentioned that. Anyway, my uncle felt this would be a good place for my mother and all the kids to stay while my father tried to fix his business. I started working at my uncle's diner as a waitress. I was eighteen that summer… I still remember that young man who had come for breakfast with his friends once. There was the breakfast rush so I was moving around, and I only noticed him when he was about to leave. He kept coming back after that. Sometimes he would ask me to recommend something to eat. He would talk about his favorite music… And before I knew it, things had gotten a lot serious between us. That was Jonathan Kent.

"When I was sixteen, I was diagnosed with Endometriosis. The doctor back at the city told me that I would have complications with pregnancy. My mom's friend even said I couldn't get pregnant at all… I had always wanted kids. Jonathan and I started dating seriously and one day I found out I was pregnant. My parents were very strict and they couldn't deal with the fact that their eighteen-year-old got knocked up. They told me to leave and they packed their stuff and went back to National City." Martha let out a sigh. "I felt that the baby was some kind of miracle. I got pregnant despite my condition and I couldn't give up on my child. Jonathan, he was always so very supportive. He's just two years older than me, but so wise. He took me home to meet his parents, Theodore and Louise, and they treated me like their own child. Jon and I got married, and we had Clark. All was going well till Clark turned two, and I found out I was pregnant again. Jon always wanted a girl, so we were very happy… Sadly, we lost the child. We kept trying after that, but ended up losing another child. After that the doctor said it would be risky for me to have another baby… We stopped after that."

Kara looked at Martha in shock.  _Where did Mike and Winn fit in this story?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P L O T T W I S T! Did you see that coming? Did ya?
> 
> _________________________________________________________________________
> 
> Kudos = Potstickers  
> Comments = Club Soda
> 
> Leave me some if you liked what you read! :)
> 
> If you like the story, don’t forget to Subscribe and Bookmark it, you’ll get a notification whenever there’s a new chapter.


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Hey guys! Don't worry, I didn't forget your treats! God! It's so cold out there!" Clark set the boxes down and patted both the dogs. Then he looked up. "Oh! We have company?"
> 
> "Hi," Kara greeted him. "I'm sure you don't know me, I'm just—"
> 
> "Mike's friend. Kara. I know." Clark smiled and shook hands with her. "I saw you at the airport."
> 
> "Oh! You remember me!"
> 
> Clark smiled. "Of course I do. Anyway, Ma… I got the food for Obi and Buyo. I think I should leave now. The traffic gets crazy on the highway at night."

"When Clark was ten, he started helping us out with the farm. He would help feed the smaller animals and water the plants. Baby steps." Martha smiled remembering her son's childhood. "One day, I saw him taking cookies and a bottle of milk outside. I thought he just wanted to have a snack outside so I really didn't stop him. That same night, Jon caught Clark sneaking out. He was carrying a bottle of water and more cookies."

"Where was he going?"

"The barn… Jon followed him, with a shotgun." Martha shook her head. "He was always so paranoid. He found Clark climbing the loft he had built for him. Guess what he found upstairs?"

"An intruder?"

"Two, actually. And not intruders, just… lost souls. Jon found two boys hiding in the loft. They were sitting in the corner with the blankets covering them. Clark was taking those cookies and milk for them… Jon brought them home."

"Mike and Winn?"

Martha nodded. "The older one was Winn. He was eight and really chatty once he had gotten home. The little one, Mike, was so small… so thin. And there were bruises all over his body."

Kara gasped hearing that.

"We gave the boys a bath first, because they were really dirty. The little one was scared, but he just went along with it… Once they ate, the older one started talking. He said his name was Winslow Schott, but he liked it when people called him Winn. Winn's little friend didn't talk. And we thought he was mute. Winn was the one who told us what had happened. He said that Mike was his foster brother and they had run away from their foster parents because the woman abused them. She hit them with a belt."

"Child services didn't do anything?"

"Unfortunately, no. They didn't have an idea. Winn, my smart baby, was always one step ahead. He's the one who planned the escape. Winn told us that his foster parents were moving to another home. These two boys were travelling with their foster father, who had stopped for gas. When he had gone into the store to get something to drink, Winn grabbed Mike's hand and dragged him out of the car. They ran to a truck nearby, got on the back and hid under the cover… That was Jon's truck. And Jon only remembers stopping for gas three hours away… So these two boys hid in our truck and ended up here. Winn then took Mike to the barn and hid there. Clark found them when he went to play in his loft and he had been giving them food."

"Mike and Winn aren't your sons…"

Martha smiled hearing that. "Oh, they are! It doesn't matter if I didn't give birth to them. They are my boys, alright… Lord took two of my babies, but he gave me two more. We don't talk about the past in this house. We just moved on from it."

"But you adopted them? What happened to their parents?"

Martha didn't look too happy when she started talking again. "It's not a nice story to hear, Kara. But I will tell you… Winn was the son of Winslow Schott Sr. and Mary McGowan. Do you know who Winslow Schott was?"

Kara shook her head.

"He was a notorious criminal who went by the name 'Toyman'. He had a toy making business. Apparently, he was psychotic. One day he sent a government office a bomb disguised as a toy. Many people lost their lives. Toyman was locked up… When he was arrested, his son was eight and on the same day, his wife ran away."

"Winn's mother left him?"

"That's what Winn told us. But we tried to investigate a little… Do you know John Jones?" Seeing Kara nod, Martha continued, "He's a family friend. He helped us find out what happened with Winn's parents. Toyman committed suicide in jail when Winn was just twelve. His mother, who had left him, came back years later. Winn was sixteen. She wanted him back. She said that her husband threatened to kill Winn if she stayed… We let Winn decide and he told her that I was his mother and he didn't know any other mother."

"He decided to stay?"

"Yes, he did… As for Mike, he didn't talk for three months. Of course we adopted the boys. John helped with the child services and their previous foster parents were arrested for child negligence and domestic abuse… Mike used to be very quiet, but he got along well with Clark. He was already close to Winn when he got here. But slowly we made progress. It started with one extra cookie, one tight hug… and he finally accepted that we were his parents… Jonathan was curious about Mike's biological parents, so he asked John to find out what happened to them… What we found out was so shocking… no wonder Mike stopped talking. He had gone through such trauma!"

"What happened?"

"Unlike Winn, Mike came from a very wealthy and prominent family. The Matthews owned many businesses. They were based in Seattle. The father, Larson Matthews, supposedly a dashing, heartthrob ended up marrying a woman named Rhea."

Kara gasped hearing that. "Mike mentioned Rhea! He said he saw something on the TV, where this woman killed her husband."

Martha kneaded her temple. "It's his way of avoiding the truth… Rhea was very much real. She was his birthmother. Like Winn's biological father, Rhea was also psychotic… It was her wedding anniversary, and that night, she stabbed her husband to death. My son had witnessed it through the space in the door. Rhea then came to kill Mike. He managed to close the door and lock it. He hid underneath the bed… A maid found the dead body and Rhea had fallen asleep besides her husband's corpse." Martha took a deep breath. "Rhea was charged for murder and since no living relative was ready to take care of Mike, he was sent to a foster home, where he met Winn."

"Is this woman still—?"

"Yes. She's alive. Still locked up in a high security prison."

"Is this the reason Mike joined the Air Force? He was running away from the truth?"

Martha shook her head. "Mike accepted the truth a long time ago. Being with us helped him. He started recovering, but something happened that might have affected him in a way we never imagined.

"When Mike was fifteen, and this happened two months after we met Winn's biological mother, she had shared something that… that surprised us all, but I'll get back to that later… Mike got a letter. It was a request from Rhea. She wanted to see him once. Apparently, she had been on good behavior, so her request was sent… I was against it. I didn't want my son meeting a murderer! But Jon said that Mike needed closure. He had to see that woman and accept that he was not like her. He was a good person. Despite my many protests, Jon, Clark and Mike left to Seattle, and Mike finally saw that woman."

"What did she say to him?"

"From what Clark heard, she wanted Mike to get their family lawyer to help her get out. Mike refused. So she started yelling at him and cursing him. Jon heard her say that she should have gotten rid of Mike when he was in her womb. And she said he was just like her and one day he would end up like her. Jon had taken the phone from Mike and told Rhea that Mike was his son… our son, and he was a good person. That he would never harm anyone… We feel it was a trigger for Mike. He was dead set on proving Rhea wrong. When he came to us telling us about wanting to join the academy, I knew what he was doing. Jon was proud of him and backed his decision… I'm just glad my boy survived that crash. And of course, those gunshot wounds, too."

"Mike was never an ordinary bodyguard then," Kara muttered.

"Bodyguard?" Martha sounded surprised hearing that. "No, dear. Mike is an FBI agent. Winn works for them as well. He was the first to be hired by FBI. John said Winn was a genius and he needed him on his team. Mike joined them after he left the Air Force."

"Mrs. Kent, you said Winn's biological mother shared something. What was it?"

"That's a bit complicated, dear. If John hadn't personally investigated this, we wouldn't have believed it. Mary told us that her husband had a sister. She was like him when she was younger… mentally ill. She had run away from home when she was a teenager and no one saw her after that. Her name was Rhea Schott."

"What? The same Rhea?"

"Yes. It was surprising for us as well. Winn and Mike are related by blood. Cousins."

"Do they know?"

"They do. But they never considered each other as just cousins. They have been brothers since they met. And that is how we like to think of them. Clark, Winn, Mike… my boys. And not many people know about the adoption. Just Jon's immediate family, my uncle Mackey and John Jones."

"What about your parents?" Kara asked out of curiosity.

"If you're asking if I ever met them again, then yes. Jon's sister, May lives in National City. We took the boys to her place for a short trip once. Mike was eight. He had settled in with us… but he was a little clingy." Martha chuckled. "Jon, Clark and Winn were tired from the journey, but I was just happy to be back in the city I spent eighteen years in! I wanted to see all the places I remembered. Mike tagged along. I took him to my favorite bookstore first. It's called  _Once Upon a Book_. Mike and I still visit it whenever I come to visit him and Winn… After the bookstore, I took Mike to a coffee shop I frequented. My poor baby boy was hungry yet he wanted to explore the town with me… As we sat there, eating sandwiches and having cold lemonade, I saw them… my parents. They had stopped by to grab some coffee."

"Did they talk to you?"

"They were surprised. Then they noticed Mike and how he was trying to feed me a piece of his sandwich… I guess they couldn't just pretend I wasn't there. They approached me and asked me if Mike was my son. I said yes. Then they greeted him and introduced themselves as his grandparents. Mike had only known Ted and Louise, but my baby had good manners. He shook his hands with them and shared his sandwich too… They forgave me. Asked me about my life, my husband and my kids."

"They don't know about the adoption at all?"

"No. I didn't bother. Mike and Winn are my sons and that was the only thing I was willing to share. We aren't that close though. But Mike visits them once in a while… My uncle Mackey, he did treat me as if I was his own child. He never married or had children. And when he passed away, he left his properties and the diner in my name."

"Mike mentioned the diner. And talked a lot about his family, but it never felt as if he was adopted," Kara said. "He really loves all of you."

"And we love him, too." Martha smiled. She got up and said, "We've been talking for a while. It's already lunchtime. I made Chicken Pot Pie. I hope that's okay."

Kara's eyes widened hearing that. "Did Mike tell you I like that dish?"

Martha shook his head. "No, dear. Mike loves my pot pie, so I decided to make some for him since Clark is heading back to the city. And if Mike does wake up and the doctor allows, he could eat it."

Kara smiled at the lady in front of her. Mike truly had a fairy godmother for a mother!

* * *

 

She ended up staying till evening. She listened to some more stories about Mike and his brothers, played with the dogs and looked at the pictures of the Kent boys. Only when the sky darkened did she realize she had a train to catch.

The door opened just then and Clark Kent walked in. He was carrying two large boxes and both the dogs launched at him.

"Hey guys! Don't worry, I didn't forget your treats! God! It's so cold out there!" Clark set the boxes down and patted both the dogs. Then he looked up. "Oh! We have company?"

"Hi," Kara greeted him. "I'm sure you don't know me, I'm just—"

"Mike's friend. Kara. I know." Clark smiled and shook hands with her. "I saw you at the airport."

"Oh! You remember me!"

Clark smiled. "Of course I do. Anyway, Ma… I got the food for Obi and Buyo. I think I should leave now. The traffic gets crazy on the highway at night."

"I should go as well, Mrs. Kent. Thank you for having me! And thank you for talking to me. It really helped." Kara smiled at the older woman. "Also, amazing pot pie! Thanks for that too."

"Kara, you shouldn't go by train this late. I'm not sure there is one to National City right now," Martha said. "Clark is going too. He's taking the car. Go with him."

"Oh no! I don't wan—"

Clark cut her off by saying, "Don't worry about it. I don't mind giving you a ride back to the city. And it's not safe to take a taxi now, provided you get one."

Kara finally gave in. She said goodbye to Martha and petted both the dogs and left with Clark.

Unlike Mike and Winn, Clark was very quiet. He didn't bother with small talks. And he had better taste in music compared to both his brothers.

When they finally reached the city, Clark spoke, "I'm actually heading to the hospital. Would you like to come too? Mike could wake up and he would love to see you."

Kara had been dying to see Mike, but she stopped herself from saying yes. She was the reason why Mike was at the hospital in the first place. He wouldn't want to see her.

"Actually, I really have to get back home. My mom will call the cops if I don't reach by night."

Clark smiled hearing that. "Yeah. She's sure like that."

"Wait, you know my mother?"

"Not really. I was an intern when she returned to Daily Planet and broke the news that won her a Pulitzer! She's always been hardworking, but also very strict. Amazing woman, Cat Grant is."

Clark dropped Kara off at her place and headed back to the hospital. Not before coming in to meet Cat. She recognized him and was actually happy to see him.

Kara had ended up getting lectured by her mother for going to Smallville and coming home so late. That didn't bother Kara. She had just met a wonderful woman, who was an absolutely amazing mother who loved all her boys so much. Kara knew that when Mike woke up he would be surrounded by a family that loved him the most.

He didn't need her. She was no one.

Little did Kara know that Mike had woken up just when Clark had suggested Mike would love to see her.

And she would never know. She would never know that she was the first person Mike had asked for when he woke up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Human Superman is the best!! And now you guys know the truth about Mike! Did you see THAT coming?
> 
> _________________________________________________________________________
> 
> Kudos = Potstickers  
> Comments = Club Soda
> 
> Leave me some if you liked what you read! :)
> 
> If you like the story, don’t forget to Subscribe and Bookmark it, you’ll get a notification whenever there’s a new chapter.


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was another article and written in bold was 'WHERE IS THE SON OF LARSON MATTHEWS? THE SOLE HEIR OF THE MATTHEWS EMPIRE?'
> 
> Kara didn't know what to think about it. She knew Mike well, he would never want to be the heir to any empire.
> 
> She then decided that she was getting obsessed with the man who was no longer a part of her life. She knew Mike had woken up. John Jones had informed her father, who promptly called her. That was enough for Kara. As long as Mike was safe and happy.

**Epilogue**

 

It has been said that time flies when you're having fun. But for Kara Danvers, it was creeping as slow as possible.

A week had passed since the incident. She had sworn off social media, invested all her free time in looking up the Matthews online. What Martha had told her was probably the tip of the iceberg. What she had found online was even more gruesome than she had expected. The worst part was how Leonidas Matthews, Larson's brother had said that his nephew had run away from home after seeing his father's dead body. That was not the truth. Leonidas and his wife had made sure Mike was sent to a foster home and was never to be found again.

She had managed to find a digital copy of a newspaper dating back to twenty years. The news had made it to the front page, the Matthews murder was a high-profile case, after all.

 

 

There was another article and written in bold was ' **WHERE IS THE SON OF LARSON MATTHEWS? THE SOLE HEIR OF THE MATTHEWS EMPIRE?'**

Kara didn't know what to think about it. She knew Mike well, he would never want to be the heir to any empire.

She then decided that she was getting obsessed with the man who was no longer a part of her life. She knew Mike had woken up. John Jones had informed her father, who promptly called her. That was enough for Kara. As long as Mike was safe and happy.

 

 

 

But she had ended up going to  _Once Upon a Book_ to see the place Mike frequented. At first it looked like any other bookstore, but then she got a homely feeling here. There was an entire area with couches, beanbags and coffee tables dedicated to people who wanted to read a book here instead of buying it.

Kara was happy that she had decided to check this place out. Now it was time to leave all this behind and never look back, but just as she was about to leave, she saw a small sign that read 'NOW HIRING'. She had been meaning to get a job, so Kara decided to give it a try.

The girl behind the counter, Fumi Tanaka, smiled at Kara when she approached her. "Hi, are you hiring?"

Fumi gave Kara a bright smile and nodded. "Yes, we are. We're kind of short on people after three of our employees left. Some kids spread a rumor that this place was haunted." Fumi shook her head. "Kids these days… Anyway, do you want to apply for the open position? It's not much, you just gotta sort the books and help others stock them up."

"That actually sounds fun," Kara said.

"Great! Hold on. BARRY! COME OUT NOW!" Fumi shouted, looking at the door at the back.

A young man stepped in, rubbing his hands. "You called?" He then turned to Kara and his eyes widened. "Kara Danvers?!"

Kara did remember this guy from Twitter. "The fastest boy alive? That's what you called yourself when you were little."

Barry Allen winked at her and leaned against the counter. "It's the fastest man alive now. Usain Bolt doesn't know. Shh!"

Fumi smiled seeing Kara and Barry interact. She then patted Barry's shoulder and said, "Kara is joining us. Can you get the form and explain her the benefits? I'll just go and grab some coffee for us. Kara, any preferences?"

"Oh no. You don't have to!"

"I insist. You are one of us now." Fumi shook hands with Kara and said, "Welcome to  _Once Upon a Book_. You might have to shadow Barry for a while. He's a good teacher, even though he doesn't look it… Okay, I'm off now. I'm just gonna grab regular coffee for all of us."

"Hey!" Barry shouted after Fumi. "I WANT THE FLASH!"

"I KNOW!" Fumi shouted back and walked away.

Barry then turned to Kara and reddened when he realized he had just shouted that out so loud. "It's freshly brewed directly over ice with one shot of Espresso," he explained. When he saw Kara smile beautifully, he smiled back and asked, "How long has it been? Ages?"

"Ages." Kara nodded. "You're taller."

"And you're beautiful." Barry's eyes widened when he realized he had just said it out loud. "Okay, I'm gonna stop embarrassing myself. I'll go get that form for you. Be right back."

Kara waved to him as she began to look around. She really liked this place. She could get used to being here.

* * *

 

November had brought in the rains and the chill, making Barry Allen dress up in layers. He was always so cold. But that meant more coffee for himself, Fumi and Kara. The three had gotten along really well. Kara hadn't imagined that she would find friends at work.

It had been a whole month since the incident. She had been trying her hardest to move on. Trying was the keyword. She knew it would take time, but eventually she had to move on from Mike.

Noah had showed up one fine day. When he noticed she wasn't going straight home after college, he had followed her and ended up at the bookstore. He had been shy as ever. Instead of asking her out, he ended up asking for a book they didn't have in stock.

But there was someone who was brave enough to ask her out. Barry Allen.

At first they were just catching up as friends. They had been too young to remember what the other person was like. But Barry's obvious crush on Kara didn't go unnoticed.

She didn't want to lead him on, so she decided to tell him about Mike. Barry had already figured out the part about Mike and Kara not being a couple at the moment. And he liked her enough to ask her out for a movie. Despite getting rejected, Barry still took Kara  _and_  Fumi out to see Fantastic Beasts. He claimed that a Harry Potter movie had to be seen with other Potterheads. Everything else fell into place. Barry hadn't asked her out again. But ended up becoming a very good friend. Best friend even.

One fine evening, Kara was busy sorting out a set on new books that they had received earlier that morning. It was Saturday, so she didn't have college, but she worked weekends as well.

"Kara," Barry called, looking at her through the gap between the two shelves. He waved at her and asked, "Some boys came in and they have messed up the entire row. You know it better than I do, so wanna swap? I'll sort out the new books."

"Sure, Bar! Give me a second." Kara placed the new books on the book cart and went to the other aisle to see Barry struggling with too many books in his hands. Kara lifted few and set them aside. She then noticed that the books belonged to the Fantasy section and they sat in the Mystery row. "Ugh! Why do those kids always play such pranks?"

"I don't know. They are annoying as hell." Barry then thanked her and went to the other aisle.

Kara lifted the books in her arms and made her way to the Fantasy section. Just as she was about to place a book, she heard a loud noise behind her. Barry had probably dropped a set of books. Or maybe those mischievous kids had returned. She had totally missed someone standing in front of her and walked straight into them.

Kara dropped the books she was carrying. Bending down, she started picking them up. "I'm so sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going." Noticing the man picking up some of the books, she stood up.

When he raised his head, she let out a small gasp. "Mike?"

"I heard this place was haunted, is that why you decided to work here?" He stood up and gestured for her to lead the way. "You've always had a soft spot for ghosts."

Kara kept looking at him as if she had been hallucinating.

When she didn't reply and simply kept arranging the books, Mike asked, "Hey! No hi or hello or how are you still alive?"

Kara finally turned to him. "You're really here?"

Mike rolled his eyes at her and said, "Stop stating the obvious, Brat! Say, when do you get off?"

"In five minutes."

"I'll meet you outside." Saying that, Mike walked out of the door.

Kara hurried and arranged the books. She grabbed her coat and her backpack and signed her name on the way out, waving Barry goodbye. She knew the second she stepped out of the door, Mike wouldn't be there. She had been daydreaming about him enough the whole month. Pulling on her beanie and her gloves, she stepped out.

Her eyes widened when she noticed he was leaning against a pole. Mike wore a long coat over his suit, making her wonder if he had come here straight from work.

"How did you find me?" Kara asked, walking towards him.

"Really? You just asked an FBI agent that? I know you, Brat. You went to my home, you talked to my mother. She would have mentioned this bookstore and you ended up here. Because you felt if you worked here, I would show up at some point of time since this was the place I frequented and we would just run into each other. Correct me if I'm wrong, Kara Lord-Danvers. Oh, I know that because I've seen your birth certificate. Suck it!"

"How are you still so cocky after getting shot?" Kara had a small smile on her face. "You haven't changed one bit."

"Hey! I got shot  _twice_! And I have a sort of a nice record of escaping death… And I haven't changed because I only got shot. I didn't get a brain surgery that changes my personality!" Mike moved closer and towered over her. "You decided to not go back to being a blonde."

"This color started to grow on me."

"Oh! That's nice… Why didn't you visit me at the hospital? When I was awake? I know you showed up the next day after the surgery and confessed your undying love for me and—"

"Wait! How did you know that?"

Mike playfully rolled his eyes. "Seriously? Winn was standing right behind you! You think he wouldn't have heard a word. He told me everything." Mike caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. "You idiot, you had to go and fall in love with me!"

"Stop scolding me!" Kara pouted. "And I'm sorry you got shot because of me. You shouldn't have jumped in front of me, Mike! Why did you do such a stupid thing?!"

"Hey! Do you really think I could live with myself if I let anything happen to you? Silly Brat! Look, I heard what you said. You were clearly upset and you have this stupid notion that Donna means something more to me. She does. She's a sister to me. But what I have with you is different."

"What do you mean?"

"Kara, I need to confess something. I haven't entirely been truthful about myself. My name is Michael Theodore Kent. I grew up in a farm in Smallville. I joined the Air Force to prove someone wrong. And when I was discharged from duty… I couldn't walk. I never thought I would again. But I had a lot of people believing in me. Everything else I shared about myself was the truth, except for the name. I was Michael Matthews once. But that boy died the day he saw his father being murdered in cold blood. I'm just Mike Kent now. My close friends call me 'MK', and I know one thing for sure, I'll always be your Gramps. Not in any paternal figure way. I hope you don't have a fetish for that."

"Mike!" Kara mock-punched his chest. Tears formed in her eyes as she rested her head against his chest and said, "I thought I lost you… I still regret how you stupidly decided to sacrifice yourself to save my life."

"Kara, there's something else you need to know. I've been giving it a lot of thought and I have realized that you are my weakness."

"Me?" Kara looked up in surprise.

"Oh, uh… no. I mean, my feelings for you… I've never felt like this about anyone in my life… I didn't know that there were this many feelings to even be had. My emotions, I guess they made me kind of crazy." Mike cupped her face and said, "I was trying to distance myself from you because I believed you would find someone better. And mostly because my job is very dangerous. I could have enemies and if they ever found out about you and hurt you in any way then I—"

"I'm ready to take that risk!" Kara looked at him straight in the eye. "If that is all that takes to being with you, then so be it! I love you, Mike. And I can't imagine a life without you."

Mike was smiling as he heard her say that. "Wow! I didn't realize this would be so clichéd! Like a chick flick film."

"Seriously? I just told you I love you."

"I know, Kid. I know… Just let me enjoy this Han Solo moment for a second, okay?"

"Can you please not bring him up? Because that man is dating my mother and it's totally awkward." Kara let out a sigh.

"Yeah, I get it. Family dinners are gonna be super awkward, huh?"

"As long as you'll be with me, I'm sure I'll survive it, Gramps."

"That's the plan, Brat!" Mike closed the distance by resting his forehead against hers. "I'm so glad you said no to No. I would have punched him if I found out you two were together."

"Jealous much?" Kara giggled.

Mike placed a hand on her nape and titled his head to capture her lips in a soft kiss. Kara kissed him back harder. It felt as if it had been ages. When Mike pulled away, he said, "I know you missed me and my hot bod, but if you wanna have sex, you should just let me know."

Kara wrapped her arms around his waist and said, "That's literally the only thing you think about, Gramps."

"What can I say? I'm a male in my mid-twenties with a healthy sexual appetite and you, my lady, are very tempting."

"Can you get me ice cream before we do it? Because it helps me get into the mood!"

"No, you little monster, you just love eating!" Mike threw his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer. "Fine! I'll get you that ice cream."

"Three scoops!"

"Two and one kiss." Mike kissed her head lovingly.

"Hey! Not fair!"

Grinning, Mike leaned down and crashed his lips against hers. "Umm… you are gonna keep me on my toes, huh, Brat?"

"Always, Gramps! You know it!" Kara grabbed the collar of his coat to pull his head down to kiss his cheek. "Hey! Let me be the big spoon tonight."

"Fuck no, you human backpack! There's no fucking way I'm being the little spoon."

"Pretty please!" Kara gave him her puppy dog eyes.

"Nope! If you want that ice cream, then no."

"Ah! You got me there, Gramps!"

Mike winked at her. "Yeah. I got you… sweetheart."

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE END!
> 
> Or not...
> 
> Yup. The sequel is just around the corner! Get ready for 'About A Boy'. Hope you liked reading this story! Let me know what you think. I love reading all your thoughts!!!
> 
> _________________________________________________________________________
> 
> Kudos = Potstickers  
> Comments = Club Soda
> 
> Leave me some if you liked what you read! :)
> 
> If you like the story, don’t forget to Subscribe and Bookmark it, you’ll get a notification whenever there’s a new chapter.


	35. Chapter 35

 

 

_CatCo_ brings you an exclusive interview of National City's very own Kara Danvers. Interviewing her will be Nia Nal, who was previously a cub reporter who worked for Cat Grant as an intern before joining _CatCo_ full time.

Kara Danvers, as we all know is the daughter of the founder of _CatCo_ , Cat Grant and her ex-husband, Maxwell Lord-Danvers, an actor and producer.

Kara is a nineteen-year-old aspiring screenplay writer, who is currently attending Rutherford International University, as she pursues her dream of becoming a full time writer. Kara became a media sensation when she attended the world premiere of her father's movie Mission Possible III in Metropolis with her boyfriend, Mike Kent, an FBI Agent, who is also a retired Air Force Major.

Let's see what Miss Danvers has to say, shall we?

 

> **Nia Nal:** Hi Kara! How have you been?
> 
> **Kara Danvers:** Hi Nia, I'm doing great! Thanks for having me.
> 
> **Nia Nal:** I must say I'm really excited for this interview. You're the most happening girl in the town right now. How does it feel to be popular when your parents are already famous?
> 
> **Kara Danvers:** Success and fame always go hand in hand when you talk about Cat Grant and Maxwell Lord-Danvers. I believe the reason why they both made it works in their respective fields is only because of the passion they have. As for me being famous, I doubt I am.
> 
> **NN:** How was it growing up with these two prominent faces of the entertainment society?
> 
> **KD:** For the world, they are obviously Cat Grant, the woman behind this very empire we are sitting in, and Maxwell Lord-Danvers, a talented and famous movie star. But for me, it's just Mom and Dad. Growing up, I realized at a very young age that my parents are some kind of superheroes. They were always on TV and if I ever missed my dad, I would put a film of his and watch him.
> 
> **NN:** Was that difficult? Your parents divorced when you were little.
> 
> **KD:** Actually, my parents got a divorce before I was born. So there was no 'them', they were two people trying to raise one kid. I think a lot of people know that my father was only nineteen when I was born. So my mother obviously got my custody. I grew up seeing my dad grow as an actor. My mother was mostly busy with work and then CatCo, but it never felt difficult per se. Lonely at times, but not difficult, no.
> 
> **NN:** You have been extremely supportive of your parents' relationships with their current partners. Do you get along with them well?
> 
> **KD:** I think I've seen them date a long of people since my childhood. So, I'm mostly unfazed by their relationships. Their lives, they get to decide what they want to do. That being said, my dad's fiancée, Teagan Lee, is one of our oldest friends. I've known her since I was a kid, and she's like a second mother to me. I absolutely adore her, and I think she's the perfect woman for my father. It's always nice to know that I can go visit my dad whenever I want and his partner won't protest. On the contrary, she would welcome me with open arms  _and_  book my tickets.
> 
> **NN:** What about your mother's boyfriend Henry Forde?
> 
> **KD:** Henry is a big actor. I've met him once. I was seven, I think. My dad and Henry were in a movie together. Max actually played Henry's son. I don't know about him any more than you do. But he did play my boyfriend's favorite character in Star Wars.
> 
> **NN:** Yes! Your boyfriend, I was just coming to that. Is it Mike Kent or Mike Matthews? There's a bit confusion with the surname.
> 
> **KD:** _(laughs)_ It's Mike Kent. People just got his name wrong all this time. So yeah, let me go on record and say that I'm really dating Michael Kent. He's the same hashtag MysteriousMike as always.
> 
> **NN:** Mike has always been very mysterious from the start. And now we find out that he's an FBI Agent. How did you two meet, Kara? We would love to know!
> 
> **KD:** It's a long story. _(laughs)_
> 
> **NN:** We have all the time in the world. _(smiles)_
> 
> **KD:** _(nods)_ I guess we do. Well, it all started with me getting death threats. My parents decided to hire a bodyguard for me and it turned out to be Mike. Back then I didn't know he was with FBI. So technically he wasn't a bodyguard, but a special agent trying to capture a notorious criminal, Lena Luthor.
> 
> **NN:** Lex Luthor's sister?
> 
> **KD:** The very same! Things got out of hand and Mike took a bullet for me. He's doing well now, but I guess we are stronger than ever.
> 
> **NN:** I'm sorry to hear that. And I'm glad Mike and you are safe and happy. But do your parents approve of him?
> 
> **KD:** My father does, yes. I can safely say that he adores Mike… As for my mother, I'll just say that I wish she were more open-minded. If she wishes for me to accept Henry Forde as her boyfriend, the least she could do is accept Mike as my boyfriend.
> 
> **NN:** So you are very serious about Mike?
> 
> **KD:** I think that's the most important part of any relationship. If you are doing it for fun and you don't plan on being committed, you might as well be single.
> 
> **NN:** Is Mike supportive of what you do?
> 
> **KD:** Between my dad and Mike, I don't know which one is my biggest cheerleader. But yes, Mike is very supportive. There was a time I was very confused with what I wanted to do. Mike helped me realize that I could act, but I could write as well.
> 
> **NN:** Do you ever plan on acting?
> 
> **KD:** I like doing plays. But I'm not sure if I'm ready to face the camera.
> 
> **NN:** What if you got a cameo in your dad's movies? If you are willing to do one, which one of his newest movies would it be?
> 
> **KD:** Probably Conjuring. That's my favorite horror series. And this way I can drag Mike to the theater and make him watch it. He would, if I was in the movie.
> 
> **NN:** Are you excited about your father's upcoming role in the Conjuring series?
> 
> **KD:** Totally! This is his first horror movie. I just hope he does many more.
> 
> **NN:** Is it true that you were offered a role in the sequel of The Haunting of Hill House?
> 
> **KD:** _(laughs)_ I wish! But no.
> 
> **NN:** If you were offered a role, will you do it?
> 
> **KD:** Absolutely!
> 
> **NN:** _(smiles)_ The screenplay you are working on, what genre is it?
> 
> **KD:** It's Paranormal mostly, much to my boyfriend's dismay.
> 
> **NN:** Would you like your dad to work on it?
> 
> **KD:** I would love to! I mean, Max is such a talented actor and he's fun to be around on set. But then I would get blamed for nepotism. _(shrugs)_ So, I'm not too sure.
> 
> **NN:** You also work at a bookstore. Could you tell us why?
> 
> **KD:** That bookstore kinda has a history with my boyfriend. So one day I decided to go check it out for myself and fell in love with that place. I love being surrounded by books. And I always get the latest stuff to read…. I also reunited with my oldest friend, Barry Allen. So it's a win-win.
> 
> **NN:** Can we discuss your potential future with CatCo? Will you ever consider being a Journalist?
> 
> **KD:** There was a time when I thought Journalism was right for me. But then I started exploring the world of acting a little. My recent play was The Merchant of Venice, where I played Portia. Plays are never that easy. If you mess up a dialogue during a movie shoot, you can cut that and reshoot again. You can't do that in a play. That's what makes it challenging… I'm not saying Journalism isn't challenging. It's a difficult line of work. I grew up watching my mother do it. Mike's oldest brother is also a famous journalist based in Metropolis. So, two journalists in the family, I guess.
> 
> **NN:** Do you get on well with Mike's family?
> 
> **KD:** Of course, they are amazing people! Mike's second oldest brother and I have food adventures all over the town.
> 
> **NN:** Winn, right? You even have a blog where you share all your food adventures.
> 
> **KD:** Winn and I share that blog!  _The Happy Chopsticks._
> 
> **NN:** Why Chopsticks?
> 
> **KD:** Our very first food adventure was Chinese. And there are always two chopsticks. Winn is one. I'm the other.
> 
> **NN:** What does Mike have to say about  _The Happy Chopsticks_?
> 
> **KD:** Mike knows food makes me happy, so he's happy.
> 
> **NN:** Thank you for talking with me, Kara. It's amazing to know you are such a down-to-earth person. Would you like to share a few words of encouragement for our younger readers?
> 
> **KD:** I'm just going to share the words Mike told me when I was conflicted between my possible career options. He said and I quote,  _'You have so much to offer this world. So don't let your mother or anyone else tell you differently.'_ End quote. I feel we all have something to offer this world. We are all different. We don't have to try to be like others. We can make our own destiny. But in the end, it's about doing the right thing. I would also like to quote my mother who once said,  _'In order to live, we must keep daring.'_ End quote.
> 
> **NN:** That is a powerful quote.
> 
> **KD:** Just like my mother. _(smiles)_
> 
> **NN:** Kara, thank you once again. We loved having you here at CatCo, and we wish you all the very best in all your future endeavors.
> 
> **KD:** Thank you, Nia. I'm glad to be here.
> 
> **Nia Nal:** Before we leave, I have one last question. What are you plans now?
> 
> **Kara Danvers:** If I'm going to make a name for myself and prove to everyone that I know what I'm doing, I'm gonna need practice. Start small, get better. And to do that, I'm gonna need help. I know there are a lot of people who will be willing to help. But I guess, right now, the only person I need is my Mike. So yeah, there's that. Thank you for having me, CatCo. It's been a ride!
> 
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> _Photographed: Mike Kent and Kara Danvers. Courtesy: Maxwell Lord-Danvers_
> 
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_Enjoy a sneak peek from the sequel!_

 

During her break, Kara decided to text Mike and see what he was up to, but she thought of something and decided to do that instead. 

 _ _‘_ What’s missing: A, E, _ , O, U?’ _She sent a text to Mike and waited for his reply.

When Mike texted back two minutes later, she opened her phone and read it.  

> _‘_ _I.’_

_‘What’s the antonym of ‘hate’?’_ She texted again. 

> _‘Love.’_ She got a reply that instant.

_‘What’s the opposite word for ‘me’?’_

>   _‘You.’_ In few seconds Mike replied again. _‘Wait. Kara! Did you just?’_

_‘I love you, too, Gramps!_ ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡’

> _‘So cheesy! But that’s why I love you, Brat!’_

__‘_ I know!ヾ(⌒ー⌒)ノ’ She smiled reading his replies. _

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked what you read, you can always leave a comment and kudos! :) Looking forward to what you think.


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